Bella Brings It Home
by frantic-daydreamer
Summary: Continuation of one-shot "Because He Asked." Our favorite Twilight characters transplanted to Washington DC and the West Wing. The last thing Bella wants is to get involved with one of her tenants. Can Edward Cullen change her mind? AH/AU canon pairings.
1. Prologue

**This is an elaboration of the one-shot "Because He Asked." **

**It is a crossover with "The West Wing" but it is mostly "Twilight". The main idea was to put the characters in an entirely new setting. So here they are...**

**Disclaimer: recognizable characters claimed by respective authors, the rest came out of my daydreaming bank.**

* * *

****

Prologue

Bella felt her stomach clench when the seatbelt sign flashed above her head and the flight captain's voice came over the PA system, announcing their descent into Regan International Airport. Take off and landing always made her a little nervous and this was no exception. Especially as this landing would be the beginning: new home, new job, a new outlook on life. Bella exhaled deeply, blowing hair out of her eyes.

The last 12 months had been painful and difficult, but there had been some comfort in the familiarity of it. Now she was sitting in an airplane making a leap of faith for the first time in a long time. It felt very uncomfortable. Bella's attention was drawn to Ben, his face pressed to the window pane.

"Mom! Mom! I can see the Washington Monument! Look! Can you see it?" Ben exclaimed.

"Hush, baby. Yeah, I can see it. It's pretty cool, huh?" she replied, patting his arm to quiet him.

"Can we visit it? Can we climb to the top?" He looked like he was ready to jump out the window in his excitement.

"Yeah, baby, we can visit everything. But you need to put your seatbelt on. We're almost there."

"Good. I'm so hungry. Do you think Gramps will take us out to lunch? I'll bet he knows the best places for lunch." Ben asked as he buckled up.

"I'd count on it. Charlie loves to take you to all his old dives." Bella smiled, thinking about her father and silently offered a word of thanks for the gruff and lovable man. Without Charlie's help this move would have been exponentially more difficult.

"In fact, he's meeting us at the new house. He has our keys….and hopefully a signed lease from the new tenant."

Bella had successfully rented out the basement apartment of her new brownstone to a couple of newlyweds who were finishing up their graduate work at George Washington University. Peter and Charlotte seemed adorable, and Bella had sent the lease through the mail. She was looking forward to watching them feather the nest of their new home as she built her own new life.

The second apartment was almost as easy to rent, but because it was right across the hall from where she and Ben were going to live, Bella wanted to be cautious. A friend had recommended a coworker who was looking, so Bella asked her dad to use his contacts to check his references and do the interview. She didn't want her new tenant to think he had any advantage over her because she was a single woman with a child. Since the rent was much higher on the two bedroom than the basement, she wanted to be sure he could afford it.

Charlie Swan was standing outside the brownstone as their cab pulled up. "Gramps!" Ben shouted as he bounded from the car.

"Hey, Benny! How are ya, boy?" Charlie swung the boy through the air, then hugged him tightly. The affection between the two warmed Bella's heart, and she silently thanked God, again, for the great deal of love she had in her life.

"Hi, Dad." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hiya Bells. How was the flight?

"Good. Long, but OK. Ben saw the monument on our approach."

"Did you, Benny? How would you like a nighttime tour?" Charlie asked, winking at Bella.

"That would be awesome!" Ben shouted.

"Alright then, it's a date. Hey, here come the trucks!" Charlie nodded toward the moving truck now rumbling up the street. "Take the key, Benny, and open the doors. Open some windows, too. It's kinda stuffy up there," he shouted to the running boy.

Bella turned to her father, "So?" she asked.

"Here's your lease, Bells. The new guy moves in next week. He's clean as a whistle, of course, and he'll probably never be around because White House staffers are married to their jobs and…" Charlie paused for effect and held up a slip of paper. "He paid the first year in full!"

Bella looked at Charlie with surprise. "In full? That's a check for $48,000?"

"Yup." Charlie smiled and handed it to her. "Better bake some cookies for your friend, because that was one hell of a referral he gave you."

Bella was still staring at the check when Charlie threw his arm around her. "So glad you're back, honey. I think things are going to work out just fine," he said. "Now let's get you moved in." Charlie released her and walked toward the movers, who were setting up their dollies and ramps.

Bella ran inside to change her clothes so she could get down to work.

Hours later, Bella crashed down on her couch with a heaving sigh. Moving sucked and even with a cadre of moving men, her father and Peter and Charlotte from downstairs, this move was no different. Bella rolled her sore shoulders and took a sip of her champagne. Left by her real estate agent, it was the only alcohol in the house, and she felt like celebrating a little before she called it a night. This was the first home she had ever bought by herself, and for the first time she was living without another adult. Although a 34-year-old widow with an 6-year-old child would never be considered a swinging single, Bella had to admit a little thrill at the thought of living on her own for the first time.

"To Bella, a single woman with a kick-ass house, an awesome job!" She raised a glass to toast herself. "And a business!" she added, thinking of her rental properties. "Here's to you Bella, baby!" she shouted before muttering, "Crap, I think I just got myself drunk. Hmmm, too bad I have no interest in making improper advances to myself."

She giggled at her own joke and shuffled toward the stairs, dropping her glass in the kitchen sink on the way.

* * *

The morning brought a bouncing Ben on her bed and a throbbing headache. Bella moaned a tried to cover her eyes against the sunlight streaming into the room.

"Crap, Ben," she whined, pressing her palms into her eyes. "What are you doing? You're making Mommy's head hurt."

"Mom! There's a lady downstairs. She says she brought us breakfast and for you to hurry up and get your butt out of bed."

Bella stopped rubbing her eyes mid twist and peeked at Ben. "What? Who? There's someone in the house?"

"MOM!" he said as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a lady. She has doughnuts. Can I have one?" he begged.

"Wait. Wait a minute Ben. Let me see who this person is and find out what she's doing in our house."

Bella grabbed her bathrobe and stumbled down the stairs. She gasped as her head caught up with the rest of her body and resumed its pounding ache. As she neared the kitchen she heard humming and the sounds of someone moving around, getting plates and cups out.

_A good sign,_ she thought._ Probably not a serial killer, then._

A woman's voice screeched, "Bella!" and as she rounded the corner Bella saw the tiny, young woman who was buzzing around her house.

"Alice? I should have known!" Bella exclaimed.

She was quickly enveloped in the comfort of Alice's arms. Bella clutched her friend tightly, holding back the tears that threatened, as Alice rocked her back and forth.

"I'm glad you're here," Alice whispered.

Breaking the hug, Bella grabbed her head, sat down at the kitchen table. "How did you get into my house?" she asked.

"Oh, Bella, don't worry about that. I got an extra key from your real estate agent. Didn't you notice the toilet paper in the bathrooms and the groceries in the fridge? I thought I'd make your life a little easier by stocking you up!" Alice replied.

"Oh um, I did, thanks. I actually thought my agent had done that as some kind of housewarming thing." Bella said, resting her head on the table.

"Nope. All me. I couldn't let my best friend go hungry on her first day in town, could I?"

Alice paused to consider her friend. "Bella, what is the matter with you?"

"Ugh. Hangover. I should know better than to drink wine."

"A hangover? What did you do last night?"

Bella explained about the champagne and the toasting while Alice bustled around the kitchen making coffee and setting up Ben with doughnuts and milk.

"Benny," Bella said, turning towards him. "Remember your Auntie Alice? Since we live nearby, we will be seeing her a lot more. Do you remember your favorite cowboy boots?"

Ben nodded, his mouth full of doughnut.

"Well those were a gift from Alice and her husband, Jasper. In fact, I think all your cowboy stuff came from them," she said.

"Awesome! Is Jasper a cowboy?" he asked.

Both women laughed. "He's actually a lawyer with the department of justice, Ben. But all men from Texas think they are cowboys, so we just humor him."

"OK." Ben shrugged. "Mom, can I eat this in the living room? I want to watch cartoons."

"Sure, Baby. But don't make a mess."

Bella turned to Alice, who was perched on the kitchen counter, coffee in hand. "Charlie rented the second apartment and you're not going to believe who it is…Sam Seaborn."

"Oooh, Bella, he's adorable. Did you see him on 'Meet the Press' last week?" Alice's eyes were alight with excitement.

"I did and I know! He is adorable! It's going to be nice to have some eye candy next door, right?"

"Eye candy! Forget about that. He's completely eligible and would be perfect for you!"

"Alice, I'm not hooking up with my tenant. How awkward would that be?"

"Who said anything about a hook-up? That man is going to be falling all over himself to get close to you, well, once I'm finished with you, anyway."

Bella sighed and continued to drink her coffee in silence. She knew it would do no good to argue with her friend. Alice was in love with love and made it her mission to fix up all her available friends. She had been no different in high school and thanks to Alice, Bella had dates to the prom and school events. Alice didn't care that Bella wasn't really interested in going out that much. _Nonsense,_ she would say. _These are the best years of your life, Bella Swan. Now get your hiney in here and get dressed._

Alice hadn't been there when Bella met her husband, Felix, but she had stood faithfully, albeit silently, by her side when Felix and Bella exchanged vows. Alice was strangely detached that day and Bella had never figured out if it was because she didn't like Felix or if she was just annoyed that she hadn't made the match herself. Probably both.

Felix and Bella did not turn out to be a fairy tale match and they struggled to get along through much of their marriage. But Bella had gotten the best part of Felix when her son was born, and there was no way she could ever regret that.

While the time since his death had been horrible, it had also been a period of personal discovery for Bella. Her mettle was tested throughout Felix's devastating hospitalization and Bella had emerged stronger and more confident in her abilities to cope and build a life for herself. When the offer came to join the staff at Georgetown Children's Hospital, Bella was ready to pull up stakes and start anew.

The bonus came in the form of family and friends, like Alice, who lived nearby.

"Alright, girl," Alice prompted. "Enough slouching around. We've only got two days to get your life in order, and I want to be in my bed at a decent hour tonight. Ben! We're going upstairs," Alice called out and shoved Bella toward the stairs.

Bella didn't even feel a little annoyed.

It was good to be home.


	2. Chapter 1

**If you've read the one-shot a lot of this content will be familiar, but please read it again, because I think I've made it a bit better.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. If I had any talent, Aaron Sorkin would be FF'n me.**

**Thanks to the betas at PTB. It's been a great experience!**

* * *

Chapter 1

Bella felt the phone buzz in her pocket and looked down to check the caller id before picking up. She rolled her eyes and uttered a quiet curse before answering. "Lyman?"

"Swan" a voice replied.

Her answer was silence

"Oh come on, Swan. It's been like three months," the voice whined.

"Seriously? You think three months is enough time to erase the memory of your last little practical joke?" Bella shuddered, remembering the humiliation of the horrible blind date Josh had sent her on.

"So I should call back in a month?" he asked.

Bella sighed, leaning her forehead into her palm. "I do not have time today for the fuckery that is the 'Josh Lyman Show.' I know you're not calling to shoot the shit. What. Do. You. Want?"

"Ah, Bella. What a sweet girl you are. You kiss your kid with that mouth?" he quipped.

"So, Josh, have you asked Donna out yet?" she shot back, hoping to embarrass him into changing the subject. Bella heard a lot of choking and spluttering through the phone. She hoped he was gagging on something sharp and difficult to remove.

After several minutes Josh wheezed into the phone, "Actually Bella, I'm calling about the apartment. Is it still available?"

"How do you know about the apartment?" she asked, flatly.

"You told Alice. Alice told Jasper. Jasper told Sam and Sam told me." He paused before adding, "Look if it's still empty I think I have someone who can take it. Sam has a new guy in his office and he's going to need a place right away. "

"Oh no, Josh. No way! What do you guys think I'm running here? Some kind of finishing school for socially inept Ivy League alumni? I don't need a renter that badly. I'll take the loss until I can find some nice old lady with a cat or an introverted professor working on his research."

"Wow Swan. That does sound exciting, but I know for a fact that you want to get that thing off your back and I owe you a favor after that disastrous date."

Bella could almost hear his smirk through the phone.

"First of all, Lyman, it wasn't a date. The guy was 80 years old and grabby as hell!" she shuddered, remembering the way the old man clutched her from behind and ground his crotch into her. "Secondly, this sounds a lot more like me doing you a favor, and that begs a question, why isn't Sam calling me himself, if this is one of his guys?"

"Sam's not back yet and also he's afraid of you. Frankly, I'm a little afraid of you too. I heard what you did to the old man," he said.

"Did you miss the part where I said he ground his crotch into me?" she was shouting now and her assistant, Angela, peeked her head inside the door to see what was wrong. Bella took a deep breath and paused to collect herself. In truth, she did want to get the unit rented. Every day that it sat empty reminded her of Sam and she just needed to move on from that B.S.

"Fine," she sighed. "Give him my office number and ask him to make an appointment with Angela. I swear to God, Josh, if this guy screws me over in any way I am coming for your balls," she growled and hung up. Angela came back in when she heard Bella banging her head on the desk.

"Josh Lyman?" she asked.

"How'd you know?" Bella replied without lifting her head.

"No one upsets you like he does. Plus, you shouted his name a few times when you were pounding on the desk," Angela said.

"Damn it," Bella muttered.

She hated losing her cool at work but somehow Josh always knew how to push her buttons. They had been friends since Bella had moved to DC two years ago and his ego grew exponentially everyday. Even worse, Josh liked to capitalize on her overreactions and played to her weaknesses. Bella suddenly realized she had forgotten to ask for the guy's name.

_Oh well_, she thought, _let that be his problem_.

"Some guy is going to call." She held up her hand before Angela could ask. "Nope, I don't know his name. I forgot to ask. Anyway, it's about the apartment. Would you take his information and make an appointment for Charlie to give him a tour?" she asked.

"No problem," Angela replied. "Lunch?"

* * *

A week later, Bella was finishing lunch with her best friend, Alice, when the subject turned to her new tenant.

"Tell me, what did you think of Edward?" Alice was perched on the edge of her seat, coffee in hand, eyebrows raised, waiting for a reply.

"Remind me again about Edward? Is he someone from work?"

"No silly. Edward Cullen. The GUY from Jasper's office who he recommended for the apartment."

"Oh, I haven't met him. Charlie showed him the apartment while I was at work."

"And ran him through his secret service contacts?"

Bella laughed, "Yeah, he did that too. You know Charlie, once a cop, always a cop. Anyway…" Bella searched her mind for the details Charlie had given her on the new tenant. "He's going to take the apartment. Charlie said he was a nice guy. Serious. Good credit score. No priors…" Bella's voice trailed off as Alice's obvious impatience rose.

"Bella!" Alice cut her off with a cluck of her tongue. "Of course he has a clean record. He works in the White House! Damn! I can't wait for you to meet him. He's super cute!" Alice wiggled her eyebrows at her friend.

"Alice, please. Whatever you are thinking put a cork in it right now. This is my life, not an episode of 'Love Connection'. I have enough on my plate without having to worry about dating my neighbor, who will also be my tenant, by the way," Bella pleaded, raising her hands. "Wait. You know him?"

"Give me a break, Bella. You can't blame me for wanting to dish about a hot guy. And let me just say, he's a very, very hot guy." Alice fanned herself mockingly. "I met him a few nights ago when I went by to meet Jasper for dinner."

Bella's interest was piqued. Alice rarely noticed anyone besides her own handsome husband. "Cute your taste, or cute my taste?" she asked.

"Bella, seriously and universally, fucking hot." Alice paused for effect before going on. "He has it."

"It?"

"You know. IT. Bella, it's gorgeous. Better yet, he can't stop touching it. "

"Alice, are you telling me that I just rented the apartment across the hall to a man with crazy sex hair?"

Alice squealed with excitement. "Yes!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"No!" Bella smiled indulgently at her friend. Crazy sex hair was a frequent topic of conversation between them. According to Alice, next to good shoes, hair was paramount in determining a man's attractiveness. Alice's own husband, Jasper, had seriously sexy hair and after Alice purchased him all kinds of the right shoes, he became her perfect man. They had been married just six months after meeting and were considered an excellent match. It was hard to deny the success of the shoe/hair combination.

"Yes!" Alice whispered dramatically, erupting into peals of laughter.

"Oh my God, Alice you're such a cliché. Crazy sex hair? Should I get waxed now or after he moves in?" Bella was laughing now too. The women drew stares from other diners.

"Bella! You are seriously disturbed!"

"Me!" Bella shrieked. "You're the one with the hair fixation!"

Alice leaned in, a look of mischief in her eyes. "What can I tell you?" she whispered. "When it's waving at you from between your thighs, it's irresistible." Alice smirked and sipped her coffee, making an attempt at looking nonchalant.

Bella's face reddened and her mouth formed an "O" of surprise. Both women burst out laughing. Bella wiped away the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Maybe the new guy wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Ahem." The women looked up to see a tall dark haired man standing at their table. "Excuse me ladies, we've had some complaints from other customers about inappropriate behavior at this table," he said.

"Oh, Jake. As if!" Alice replied. "We make this dive look good and you know it!"

"As a matter of fact, I agree," he chuckled, giving the women an appraising stare. "I actually came over to find out what is so funny. You're driving the guys in the kitchen crazy."

"Oh you know us, Jake. Just a little girl talk," Bella replied with a wink.

"Sex. You're talking about sex, right? Never mind, I don't want to know. Bella, what should I bring for tomorrow?"

"There is only one thing I want from you, Jake, and if you don't have it, well, don't even bother coming over."

"Ouch. That hurts, Bella. You only want me for my connections? I thought we had more going for us than that." Jake grabbed his chest as if in pain.

"Nope. Ours is a relationship based on fulfilling my needs only." Bella had no idea why she was flirting so shamelessly with Jacob. She would typically be much more reserved, but laughing with Alice always brought down her inhibitions, and Jake was usually pretty shameless himself.

"Well then," he leaned in and whispered, in her ear. "I guess I'll have to see what I can do to meet those needs and any others you may have." He stood up and gave her a long look before walking away. Bella felt as though she were suddenly nude and blushed down to the roots of her hair.

"Oh. My. God," Alice mouthed and they both started laughing, again.

* * *

Edward Cullen raised his hand to knock when a loud scream echoed through the door. Immediately tensing, he wondered if someone needed help. Before he had a chance to break the door down he heard loud laughter and thumping sounds which reminded him of elephants heaving themselves down a flight of stairs.

_Kids,_ he thought, with regret.

Sighing, he knocked loudly on the door, hoping someone would hear him over the din. Suddenly, the door swung open and a girl with long brown braids yelled, "Alice!" Their eyes locked for a long moment as the girl realized he wasn't the person she was expecting to see. Before she could speak, another scream erupted behind them and a young boy flew through the air landing on the girl's back.

"Surrender," he cried. "Or reap the consequences of capture!"

"Oh no you don't!" she shouted back, as she reached around and grabbed the boy's legs. Swiftly ,she carried him to the sofa, throwing him down with some force.

"Judo Chop!" she yelled and began karate chopping him around his middle until he was laughing and out of breath.

"OK! Uncle! Uncle!" he cried.

She looked at him warily, sizing up his sincerity. Giving him one last chop she stood and said, "Fair enough, you little bug zapper! Now go and wash up. Auntie Alice will be here any minute." He scooted off the sofa and she smacked him on the butt as he walked away laughing.

Edward stood there mesmerized. The girl was beautiful. Her long braids flying around her face, which was slightly flushed from rough housing with the boy. Her laugh was sweet and breathless and it wrapped around him like music. Straightening her shirt, the girl bent down, picked up some pillows and replaced them on the sofa. Edward found himself turning his head and tilting back to get a better look. When he realized what he was doing he snapped to attention, dropping his briefcase to the floor.

_Get a hold of yourself Cullen! No ogling your jailbait neighbor. _

Hearing the noise the girl looked at the door. "Oops! I forgot you were there. Sorry. Sorry. We were watching wrestling and there's nothing Benny likes better than acting it out." She shrugged apologetically. Approaching the door, she asked, "Can I help you?"

One end of the girl's braid was stuck to her lip and Edward felt compelled to reach up and touch her mouth. He imagined running his thumb across her full, bottom lip, brushing the hair away. She stood there staring at him with a little frown on her face. He realized he was staring and tried to compose himself.

"Uhm…hi...hello" he stuttered. "I'm looking for Bel-, I mean Dr. Bella Swan?"

_What the hell Cullen? _He thought when he heard himself stutter_. _

"I'm Edward Cullen, I'm supposed to meet her here for my keys…to the apartment?" he finished with a question.

_Smooth. Really, really smooth._

To his great surprise the girl reached out a hand and said, "I'm Bella. Come on in Edward. I'll get you set right up." she shook his hand and then motioned for him to enter. He simply stood in the doorway looking confused.

"Edward?" Bella gestured again. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I just. I thought you were the babysitter or the sister. I mean, I guess I thought you would be older." His cheeks colored and he realized he sounded ridiculous. He was only here to pick up a key, after all. Why did he feel like a teenager on his first date?

"Wow," she laughed. "You just made my day. For that, you get a kiss." She leaned toward him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Maybe it was the long hours he had worked. Maybe it was the many, many jaded people he had met since he had arrived in town, but something in that simple gesture made him feel absurdly happy and he let himself relax as the pleasure of it washed over him.

Suddenly a sharp crack rang out as the front door opened, hitting the wall behind it.

"Cullen you som'bitch!" a voice boomed. "Git your hands offa my woman!" Edward started, jumping back.

Before his mind could register who was shouting, Bella squealed. "Jasper you old cuss!" She took off running and jumped into his arms.

Jasper clutched her in a tight hug and walked toward the apartment. He paused at the door and looked at Edward. "Jesus Cullen, you're not here 24 hours and you're already feeling up the landlord?" He winked and carried Bella inside.

"Hi Edward," Alice trilled as she walked by. "Coming in for dinner?"

Before he could answer, Bella was back at the door with the keys and a folder.

"OK, Edward, now that you've met my friends, let me show you to your new home." She was trying to look serious by suppressing a huge grin, but it was infectious and Edward smiled right back. He was tired and disoriented, but in that moment he felt ridiculously pleased that she would smile at him.

"Lead the way."

"Sorry about all of that." Bella said as she fumbled with the lock on his apartment door. "It's rarely this crazy around here. I think we must all have Spring fever or something."

"Who was the little boy you were playing with?" Edward asked.

"Oh. That's my son, Ben. He's eight. Do you have any children?" she asked looking up.

Edward was thrown off balance as she peered up at him, her eyes a dark contrast to her flushed cheeks. As he stared, her gaze drew him in and for the second time he felt an unprovoked urge to touch her and claim that flush for himself.

_What the hell? Jesus Cullen, man up, _he mentally chastised himself.

"Edward?"

Her voice broke him from his reverie and he wondered, again, what had gotten into him. He could feel beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Blinking hard, he tried to clear his head.

"I'm sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. Maybe I'm not over my jet lag yet." he offered.

_No need to mention that you've already been in town 6 weeks._

Bella shrugged and gave him a quick tour of the apartment. "I put some things in the fridge for you and the sheets and towels are all fresh. There is a good laundry service that I use. I'll leave you the information in the kitchen. I know you're beat, but we'd love to have you join us for dinner. It's nothing formal, just a few friends and a casual meal. Just stop in whenever you feel like it. We'll be going pretty late."

She turned to leave and he felt the pain of loss…something akin to longing. As she turned away he reached out and grabbed her hand. "Bella I…" He looked down with surprise at her hand in his.

_Why did I do that? What was I going to say? "I know we've just met, but would you mind taking off all your clothes so I can see just how far down that blush goes?" _

He'd known this woman less than 30 minutes, yet he was captivated by her.

"Yes Edward?" she waited patiently.

"I, uh, just wanted to thank you. Josh told me you had some reservations…ah about renting the place…um, because you had something going with Sam before he left…" He mentally winced, wondering what possessed him to ramble like this? "Anyway, the place is really nice, so uhm…thanks."

Bella sighed and rolled her eyes. "Edward." she said, kindly, "Welcome to the building. Whatever Josh told you, you must always remember that he is an idiot." She patted his hand and pulled it from his grasp. "See you later. OK?

Edward stared at the closed door for a full minute before sighing and starting to unpack.

Across the hall Bella leaned against the closed door of her apartment and took a deep breath, releasing it in a huff.

_What the hell was that? _she wondered

From the moment she had opened the door to Edward Cullen, Bella had felt jittery and nervous, her stomach clenched in a tight ball, and she had no idea why. He was certainly as attractive as Alice had said. But she had seen attractive men before and never felt like this. Hell, DC's most eligible bachelor had lived next door for two years and she had never wanted to jump out of her skin the way she had tonight when Edward's eyes were on her.

Oh God, those eyes; bright and intense! She found it difficult to turn away from his gaze in the few minutes they were together. She stumbled through his apartment, barely able to wet her mouth enough to speak. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice she was making a fool of herself. He hardly seemed interested in her at all. Which was probably a good thing. The last thing she needed was more trouble from across the hall. But damn! All she had wanted to do was touch him and feel his arms around her. And then he had to bring up Josh Lyman and the ridiculous Sam Seaborn and now she just felt stupid.

* * *

Sunday morning Edward was up early. He poured himself a cup of coffee and stood at his window watching the neighborhood wake up. He heard the outside door close and was surprised to see his new neighbor hop down the stoop. Dressed in shorts and a track jacket, she began stretching her legs and arms. Edward was struck again by her youthful appearance and beauty. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a pony tail that pointed down her back to her jogging shorts. He took his time appraising the soft roundness of her backside and her legs. Edward could feel a tingling in the tips of his fingers, as if they were itching to touch her.

_Damn, _he thought. _I'm going to have to find a way to make a better impression on Dr. Swan. Wonder what her specialty is?_

The subtle movement of the curtains in Edward's apartment caught Bella's attention. There was no one there when she looked, but Bella could feel his eyes on her as she stretched. She took her time, reveling in the male attention. It had been so long since anyone had made her feel attractive and she planned to enjoy it. At least she was safe from mind fuckery as long as he was behind glass. She took one long deep breath, arms above her head, stretching her torso languidly, before taking off down the street.

If his window had been open she might have heard the gasp of her neighbor when the tiny sliver of skin between her shirt and her shorts was revealed.

_Wow_, was all his befuddled mind could think as his eyes followed her up the street.

* * *

Monday morning Bella dialed the number of the one person guaranteed to irritate her no matter what the circumstances.

"Swan?" a male voice answered.

"Lyman," she replied, and then waited, silently.

"Swan? You called me."

Bella laughed quietly. "I did." She waited a heartbeat, because she knew the silence drove him crazy. "Stop telling people there was something between Sam and I."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because there was NEVER anything between Sam and I and it makes me sound pathetic."

"There was," he insisted.

"No," she growled, clenching her teeth. "There wasn't. For two years Sam ate my meals and flirted with me. We never went out on a date. We never kissed and not once did he ever express any interest in doing so. Then he left and hasn't looked back. So stop talking about it with others."

"Sam cares about you. He's told me."

"Gah!" Bella shouted into the phone, pounding her fist on the desk. "I don't care what he may have told you and I don't care what his intentions may have been. He never told me, and if it's true then he's just as emotionally stunted as you are. Stop trying to mess with me!" Bella paused to catch her breath. When she was calm she added quietly, " I don't deserve it."

Josh was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, Bella. Look, I didn't realize… I uh….how can I make it up to you?"

"Just stop. OK?"

"Deal. So how are things working out with Cullen?"

From her desk outside Bella's office Angela could hear familiar banging not unlike the sound of someone's head pounding on a desk.

* * *

Not far from Josh's office, Edward Cullen was finding it very difficult to concentrate. He also had Bella Swan on his mind. When he left for work this morning he was surprised to find a little bakery box and a note on his doorstep.

Edward~

We missed you at dinner on Saturday. Hope you can make it another time.

Left you something for breakfast. Ben and I made them yesterday.

Welcome, again,

~Bella Swan

Edward tried to be pragmatic. He was her new tenant and she was just trying to be nice. But he found himself, once again, feeling a surge of happiness and if he was honest, a bit of lust. He repeatedly ran the image of her stretching on the stoop through his mind.

Damn! He was never going to get anything done at this rate. Sighing, Edward decided to break one of his personal rules. He grabbed the little box and left his office.

Knocking on the door frame, he stuck his head into Jasper Whitlock's office. "Jas, you got a minute?"

"Hey, Cullen, c'mon in." Jasper waved Edward into the room. "What's that you've got there; pink box, brown ribbon? Cullen please tell me Bella left you dessert and you've come by to share."

Edward laughed, "As a matter of fact--" Before he could finish, Jasper was out of his chair grabbing the box from Edward's hands.

"Ah the best breakfast ever," Jasper sighed, taking a bite of a huge muffin. A few sighs later Jasper opened his eyes and stared at Edward still perched by the door. "Dude, sit down. You look stressed. You obviously have not eaten one of these delicious muffins. "

Edward ran his hand through his hair. He was uncomfortable bringing up the subject of Bella with Jasper, but his curiosity about the woman was forcing him out of his comfort zone. He sat down, grabbed a muffin and said, "So Bella, she seems nice."

"Aha!" Jasper laughed out loud. "Really smooth Cullen. So what do you want to know about our Bella?"

"How do you know each other?"

"Bella and Alice are best friends. They've known each other since grade school. When Alice and I got married, well she's like one of the family, so I got a sister. "

"Is she married?"

"Nope."

"Dating anyone?"

"Nope. I've never even heard of her going on a date. She's been through some rough times and she's completely devoted to Ben. She spends a lot of time with him and really doesn't want to disrupt his life."

"Rough times?"

"Aw, Cullen, that's her story to tell. Get to know her a little bit. If she likes you, maybe she'll let you know."

"Seaborn?"

"Seaborn. Well there's not much to tell. I don't know all the details 'cuz I do not want to participate in that level of girl talk. You know what I mean? But he lived in that apartment for a while, there was some attraction between the two of them, but as far as I know nothing ever came of it." Jasper leaned in toward his friend and lowered his voice. "Listen man, she's a good girl. Smart as hell and really, really nice. She deserves to be treated nice, so if you're just looking for some fun, look somewhere else. OK?"

Edward nodded. "So you'll kick my ass if I hurt her. Got it," he said flatly.

"Naw man not me, her dad, Charlie; ex-marine, retired from State. He's very protective of his daughter and he doesn't take kindly to people who hurt her. He's a 'shoot first, ask questions, later' kind of guy." Jasper winked. "But I'm always available to help him hide the body."

"Message received. Thanks." Edward rose to leave.

"Anytime. Especially if you have food!" Jasper called out as Edward left.

Edward came home very late that night. He glanced at her door as he entered and noticed a sliver of light shining from the bottom. Taking a chance he knocked softly on the door. After a moment, Bella opened the door. Even in faded sweats and reading glasses Edward thought she looked adorable.

"Edward?" she questioned. "Is everything OK?"

"Sorry to bother you. Everything is fine. I saw your light and thought I'd take a chance that you were still up."

"I was just doing some paperwork. Would you like to come in?" she offered.

"Oh, no. I'm off to do some work of my own. I just wanted to thank you for the muffins. They were great." He gave her a breathtaking smile.

Bella blinked hard and said, "Of course, you're welcome. Glad you liked them."

"Well, goodnight." he turned and walked toward his apartment.

"Night." Bella waved and closed her door. She paused for a moment, waiting for her heart to slow. "Wow." was the only word she could think of to describe that smile.

When she left for work the following morning there was a gift by her door.

Bella~

Yesterday's breakfast was delicious. I think Jasper may

be my new BFF thanks to you.

Have a great day.

~Edward Cullen

Bella smiled hugely as she peeked into the bag to find a ballotin of chocolate truffles. In turn she left him a bag of sugared doughnuts and a note of her own.

Edward~

I made enough to share. Glad you and Jas have hit it off.

BFF? It's always nice to have a friend.

~Bella

That night Edward took foolish delight in choosing flowers for Bella on his way home from work. Disappointed to find no light peeking out from under her door, he wrote another note and left the flowers.

Bella~

You've ruined the bagel cart for me.

Jasper is considering switching departments

So he can move his desk next to mine.

~Edward

Friday, Edward opened his door before he was dressed. He had already forced himself to lay in bed for an hour like a child who has gotten up too early on Christmas morning. If he was being honest with himself, he would have had to admit that he really liked the attention. No woman, since his mother, had treated him so thoughtfully.

He looked down and saw nothing but doormat.

Edward felt the disappointment settle in his stomach. Then he felt a flush of embarrassment heat his face. He felt stupid for assuming. Muttering a quiet curse and turned to go back into his apartment. Now facing his door, what he saw made him stop short.

To the left of his door, a little, rustic bench had been placed. Sitting on the bench was a pink bakery box and a note. Quickly grabbing the box, Edward almost danced inside, closing the door behind him. He ripped open the envelope:

Edward~

Some boys will use you for your

goodies if you let them.

Make sure Jas respects you for your mind too.

~Bella

Edward threw his head back and laughed out loud. He placed the box by his briefcase and jumped in the shower.

A few days later, he and Jasper sat in his office with their feet on Edward's desk finishing the bear claws that Bella had provided. "Bear claws." Edward marveled. "Who makes bear claws from scratch?"

"Edward you seriously need to marry this girl. We cannot let this food get into anyone else's hands," Jasper groaned, licking his fingers.

"OK Jas. But don't you think I should ask her out on a date first?" he replied.

"Yes, definitely date her. In the meantime, I'll get Alice started on the wedding plans. Bella can make the cake," Jasper groaned again. Edward raised his eyebrows in question. "Oh the cake. You haven't had her cake yet, have you? "

"Seriously?" Edward laughed. "No, I haven't had her 'cake' yet. I actually haven't seen her much since I moved in." Well that wasn't exactly true, but he wasn't going to tell Jasper about the pervy ogling he did from behind his curtains.

"Well she makes awesome birthday cakes. Wait. What? You haven't seen her in two weeks? "

"No, I've been here late every night. We've talked since in passing but that's it. Besides the notes, that is."

"Notes?"

"Yeah she leaves me one with the stuff." He gestured to the bakery box. "Then I leave her a note with a gift the next day."

"A gift?"

"You know, chocolate, flowers, stuff like that."

"Hmmm. Sounds pretty romantic to me. You turning into a girl Cullen?"

"You complaining Whitlock? I could stop sharing if you're opposed," Edward shot back.

"Let's not be hasty now. But I know Bella. You're gonna have to step up your game or this little gravy train will come to a halt. You can't use the woman for pastries."

"Funny, that's what she said about you."

"Huh?"

"She told me not to let you 'use me for my goodies'. To make sure you respect me for my mind too."

Jasper let out a guffaw of laughter. "Yeah. That sounds like her. Always a smart ass."

* * *

Bella heard her phone buzzing. Digging it out from the bottom of her bag she was happy to see it was Alice.

"Hiya, Alice. What's shakin'?" she asked.

"Bella, Jasper's gained 5 pounds and yesterday he brought home a box of cake mix which he actually asked me to make. Why are you making my husband baked goods?" Alice sounded a little peeved.

Bella couldn't resist laughing out loud at her friend's irritation. "Calm down, Alice. I haven't actually made anything for Jas. But I have been leaving stuff for my new tenant and apparently he shares like a big boy."

"You've been baking for Edward Cullen?"

"Well, not baking for him, per se, just sharing the things Ben and I have made. It's just a friendly gesture, really."

"Uh huh," Alice replied with skepticism. "And how long has this 'gesture' been going on?"

"Acoupleofweeks," Bella muttered.

"Bella," Alice sighed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything, Alice. I'm just being nice to my new neighbor. God, jump to conclusions much?"

"If you say so. I just don't want you to get hurt Bella. You've been down this road before. You deserve someone who knows what he wants. Not someone who needs to be convinced," Alice said.

"Alice, it's not what you think. I'm fine. OK?"

"OK Bella. I'll take your word for it. For now. Talk to you later. I have to go sign Jasper up for the gym."

Bella sat in the silence, after ending her call, and wondered exactly what she was doing. For two weeks she had been playing this little courting game with Edward. They hadn't spent any real time together outside of the flirty notes they left one another. She hadn't even seen him, although she knew that most mornings he had seen her while she warmed up before her runs. She didn't know why she was allowing this ludicrous behavior to continue. In fact, the peeping thing was a little creepy, except she was ridiculously turned on by it; providing fuel for her fantasy life if not a real romance.

Did she want him? He was undeniably attractive. Who was she kidding? He was so hot that the few minutes they had spent together had consumed her thoughts for days. There was something else. Something about him that just made her feel giddy whenever she saw him. The question remained, was he attracted to her? Maybe it was time to find out. Bella took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

"This is Edward," the voice on the other end said.

"Hi Edward. This is Bella Swan."

"Bella, hi. How are you?" Edward felt a familiar tingling in his stomach at the sound of her voice.

"I'm great, thanks. So uh, the basketball tourney is this weekend and some people are coming over and I'd love to extend an invitation to you." Bella let out a gust of breath. Slowing down she said, "I mean, I'd love it if you would join us."

Edward chuckled as he enjoyed the moment. "That sounds great. I'd love it."

* * *

Bella and Alice were putting out food in the kitchen when they heard a knock at the door. Bella left the kitchen but before she could answer it, the door opened, and a tall muscular man burst in. "Bella!" he shouted and swept her into his arms.

"Emmett! Put me down!" Her voice was stern, but there was a twinkle in her eye. "Did you get it?" she asked as he placed her feet on the floor.

"Get what?"

"Emmett, don't tease!"

"Bella baby, would I ever let you down?" He disappeared through the door. "Ta-daa!" he shouted as he reappeared, this time with a stack of flat boxes in his hands. Bella squealed and clapped her hands.

"For you, baby, five, count 'em, five large pizzas from Vennari's!"

Bella ran forward and grabbed the pizza boxes, placing them on the counter. Turning back to Emmett she reached up and grasped him in a warm embrace. "Oh Em," she whispered. "You take such good care of me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Edward had arrived just after Emmett. Standing in the doorway unnoticed, he watched the tender interaction between Bella and her friend. Disappointment welled up inside him. Whitlock had said she wasn't dating, but there was definitely something between the two of them. He had decided to slink back to his apartment when she came around the corner and stopped him.

"Edward!" Bella called. "Hey, c'mon in." Bella hooked her arm through his and brought him into the kitchen. "Let me introduce you. Of course, you know Jasper and Alice. This little beauty is my son, Ben, and this is today's hero, Emmett McCarty." Bella smiled at Emmett and turned to Edward. "Emmett brought me pizza from my favorite shop. Em, this is Edward Cullen, my new neighbor."

The men shook hands. Bella couldn't help notice the stern looks on each of their faces and wondered why they were doing the manly, competitive handshake thing.

Jasper broke the tension by patting Emmett on the back. "C'mon Em. I've got the new COD and I'm gonna whip your butt!"

"Awesome!" Ben exclaimed, jumping off the counter. "Edward, are you coming?"

"COD?" he questioned.

"Call of Duty. You wanna play?" Ben replied.

"Ben, Edward just got here. Let him eat something and then I'm sure he will be very happy to blow you up with all manner of weapons," Bella told Ben, shooing him out of the room.

"You're not a gamer?' she asked Edward. "I thought all males were programmed with the video game gene?" Bella grabbed two plates and motioned for Edward to join her.

"Sorry, I guess not all males. I've always thought they were for kids. Maybe I never had anyone cool like Ben to play with," he said, smiling.

"Ah, buttering up the mother will get you everywhere, Cullen," she smiled back. "Now, let's get serious about food. What do you want to eat? Do you like pizza, because I have dreams about this pizza. There is no good junk food in Orange County and I just can't get enough since we moved back."

"Orange County, California?" Edward asked, filling his plate and sitting down at the long table in the kitchen.

"Mmm-hmm." She took a seat opposite him. "Have you been there?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I just moved here from L. A. That's where I met Sam. I mean, not L.A., Orange County. I was working on the campaign when Sam offered me the opportunity to come here. I'm a SoCal native."

Bella's voice rang out across the apartment, "Jasper, why didn't you tell me Edward was a real person? All this time I thought he was another one of your candy-assed, Cambridge, hothouse flowers."

"Bella," Jasper said, flatly. "I went to Harvard."

"I know Jas. But they'll never knock the shit-kicker out of you."

Emmett hooted his agreement.

"Damn straight." Jasper raised his beer in salute, never taking his eyes from the game screen.

"Game's on in 5," Alice said as she came in and joined them at the table. She turned the full force of her stare onto Edward. "So Edward, when does your wife join you from California?"

Bella choked on the pizza she was eating. Alice never took her eyes from Edward's as she reached to pound Bella on the back. She raised her eyebrows and waited.

Unable to break her gaze, he replied, "I'm not married, Alice. "

Bella eyes were shooting daggers at her friend, but Alice was undeterred. If Bella thought that Alice was going to leave matters in Bella's hands, she was seriously deluded. The signs of Bella's interest were all there: the constant flush on her cheeks, the nervous fidgeting and the insane amount of food Bella had prepared for a few friends watching a basketball game.

"Girlfriend?"

"No"

"Gay?"

"Alice!" Bella exclaimed.

Edward could hear guffaws of laughter coming from the other room. He couldn't resist joining them as he marveled at Alice's boldness. Bella merely laid her forehead on the table and groaned.

"He's not gay, Alice. Now get on in here, sugar, so we can watch the game," Jasper begged through snorts of laughter.

Alice gave Edward a wink before flouncing from the room. Bella lifted her head and mouthed, "Sorry." Her face as red as a beet.

Edward shrugged and smiled at her. He honestly didn't mind. He was impressed by the loyalty she engendered in her friends. Offering her his hand, they walked together into the family room.

Hours later, Edward lay on his own bed and mulled over the evening. Bella had been an enthusiastic fan, yelling at the players and jumping up when she disagreed with the calls. It hadn't escaped his notice that she had settled herself next to him and he didn't mind the soft touches she gave him on his knee and forearm or the way her leg rubbed against his as she shifted around on the small sofa.

Even more importantly, Edward had discovered that the big guy, Emmett, was Alice's brother and had known Bella since she was a girl. The relationship between Emmett and Bella, though affectionate, was also platonic. He thought of Bella as a sister and proved it throughout the night telling embarrassing stories of Bella and Alice as children and even grabbing them both into headlocks and making them call him 'Emmett the Great.'

But something was holding Edward back. Bella wasn't some L.A. chippie who he could jump in and out of bed with. She was a grown woman with an impressive career and a child. She was serious. She owned this house, for goodness sake, and he was still using public transit. Not that he couldn't afford it, he just liked to live his life without encumbrances; more fluidly than most.

She was definitely a woman with encumbrances. He wasn't sure he had the game for a woman like her.

"What the hell, Cullen?" he admonished himself. "You're not some green kid! You've got an education and an impressive job too. Get over there and ask her out."

Before losing his nerve, he jumped up and stalked out of his apartment. When Bella opened her door he was leaning against the jamb, thumbs hooked in his back pockets. Bella felt her heart skip a beat when he raised those gorgeous eyes.

"Bella," he croaked. "Bella," he tried again. "I was wondering if you're free next Saturday? I know it's short notice, but there's a cocktail party and I'd love to take you." He spit it out in a rush while fisting one hand through his hair. When he saw the shocked look on her face he was sure the whole thing had been a bad idea.

Bella wasn't as surprised as she looked. She already knew about the First Lady's cocktail party and was planning to attend. Of course, she was hoping Edward would ask, and now that he had, she took a moment to relish the feeling. She had practically thrown herself at him during the basketball game, and had been sitting in her room regretting it when she heard his knock. Slowly, she let a smile crawl across her face. She resisted the urge to bounce and clap, but just barely.

"I'd love to go, Edward. It sounds like fun." she finally replied.

Edward exhaled and smiled. "OK then. I uh…I'll call you with the details next week." He moved backwards toward his apartment, clapping his hands nervously in front of him. He closed the door and leaned against it. He resisted the urge to bounce and clap, but just barely.


	3. Chapter 2

**So enjoy chapter 2. There are elements of the one shot here, with changes and additions.**

**There is one line lifted directly from Midnight Sun. It's an homage...what can I say? *cue cheesy grin***

**Disclaimer: They're Stephenie Meyer's and Aaron Sorkin's worlds and I'm just living in them.**

* * *

Bella felt a little ill as her cab pulled up the driveway. This may not have been the best idea, but invitations to the First Lady's cocktail parties weren't easy to come by, so she was resolved to have a good time. She sent Alice a quick text and stepped up to the security station. Before she was finished she saw Alice waving on the other side.

"You look gorgeous. Glad you decided to get out of the house for a change." Alice leaned in and kissed Bella's cheek.

"Oh you know me, Alice, a date every year whether I need one or not," Bella joked. After a moment she asked, "Alice, is this a good idea? Maybe this was a bad idea. If I go now I can still cancel, right?"

"Bella," Alice said, softly. "What do you have to be nervous about? You're a beautiful, dynamic woman going to a cocktail party. It's not exactly a life sentence. Anyway it's too late." Alice nodded, looking over Bella's shoulder.

Her stomach erupted in butterflies when gentle hands slid onto her waist. She felt his breath on her neck and then heard the soft timber of his voice. "Bella," Edward breathed into her ear. "You look lovely."

Bella smiled and turned to face him. She blinked hard and stared for a moment. "Wow," she said. "Your eyes are even more green than I remembered."

He was taken aback by her frank admission. Leaning in he said, "Should I take that to mean that you've been thinking about me?" She looked away while a flush crept up her neck and cheeks. "Because I've been thinking of you," he finished with a smile.

"Maybe, but only in the mornings. You know, before I run," she replied, turning to look him in the eye.

Edward uttered a soft curse and ran a hand through his hair, his face sheepish with embarrassment. He wondered if he should apologize. She obviously knew about his indiscretion. Then he saw something flash in her eyes. Mirth? Mischief?

"You're a runner? I had no idea. Let's get a drink and you can tell me all about it." Placing his hand on the small of her back, Edward guided Bella into the party with a half smile on his face.

As they made their way through the room Edward was surprised to find that Bella knew many of the guests. In fact, he felt quite put out by the number of men who made it a point to engage her in some way. Edward never took his hand from her back and stared balefully at those who lingered too long.

Finally, he was able to move them toward the bar and where he insinuated himself between her and the rest of the room, blocking the approach of any other men.

You could have knocked him over with a feather when the First Lady approached, nudging him out of the way.

"Dr. Swan, so nice to see you, " she purred and leaned in to peck Bella's cheek. "Who is your charming escort?"

Bella resisted rolling her eyes. She knew exactly who Bella's date was, but the First Lady always enjoyed putting her on the spot. "I am so happy to see you. Dr. Bartlet, please allow me to introduce Edward Cullen. Edward just moved here from L.A. to work in Communications." Bella gestured towards Edward.

Abby Bartlet raised her eyebrows at Bella then turned to Edward with an appraising look. "Edward," she said, extending her hand. "Very nice to meet you. I've heard so many wonderful things about you." She turned and gave Bella a wink. "Glad to know there's someone around who can keep Sam and Toby on their toes."

Stunned, Edward could only shake her hand and stutter his thanks. Abby leaned and whispered something in Bella's ear and then walked away.

When Bella blushed Edward couldn't resist asking, "What did she say?"

Bella eyed him, gauging his mood, a small smile on her face. After a moment she told him.

"She said that you looked like you just rolled out of bed and she hoped you lived up to the hype." Bella reached up and covered her smile with a hand. Unable to resist the amusement in her eyes, he laughed out loud.

"How do you know her?" he asked.

"Oh, I thought you knew. I thought everyone knew. I'm the Bartlet's pediatrician when their grandchildren are in town."

"You're a pediatrician?"

"Yes. I work in the Child Development Unit at Georgetown Children's. I met the first lady at an event on children's issues and we just hit it off, you know?"

"I really don't know. You 'hit it off' with the first lady, one of the most intimidating women I've ever known?"

Edward shook his head in wonder.

"You are quite a mystery Bella Swan. You just sashayed through a room full of very influential people like someone attending a family reunion. You're a friend of the First Lady, a doctor, a mother and a college sports fan. You bake like a boulangere, you dress like a tomboy one day and a siren the next, and you're so damned beautiful I can hardly bear to take my eyes off you." He grasped her hands in his.

"What I can't figure out is why you're here with me?"

Bella was momentarily speechless from Edward's monologue. Quietly she uttered, "Because you asked."

"What?"

"Because you asked," she repeated, with force.

"Bella, I know you had your own invitation to this party and I can see that there are a number of men who would have been happy to escort you tonight-"

"Believe what you want, Edward," she said, cutting him off. "None of these men has ever asked me out. But you did, and I like you. So here we are…" her voice trailed off. Her hands fell to her sides.

Edward just stared at her for a long minute. The tension that had been building for weeks crackled between them . On impulse he leaned down and brushed her lips with his. He felt his knees go weak: the depth of her gaze, the smell of her hair, the feel of her skin. It all combined in a kind of sensory overload. He pressed his mouth to her forehead and struggled to control his breathing.

He whispered, "Then they don't deserve to spend any more time with you. Let's get out of here." He grabbed her hand and headed for the exit.

They ended up at a late night dive and spent their time talking. For the first time Edward was relaxed on a date. Bella made him feel at ease in a way that no one ever had. Perhaps it was that with Bella there was no pretense or artifice. Whatever it was, he knew that he had to figure it out.

They took their time walking home from the diner. Bella slipped her hand into his and he leaned in to kiss her cheek. Soon they were standing in front of the brownstone.

"This is me," Bella said, gesturing to the front door.

"That's convenient. I live nearby." Edward grinned, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs.

At her door they turned to face one another. She looked up and Edward felt his body melt into her gaze. It was a look of trust, completely without guile. He was excited and afraid at the same time.

"Bella," he whispered, his voice husky with desire.

She grasped the back of his neck and pulled him towards her placing the softest of kisses on his lips. She whispered his name back and deepened the kiss. When they were breathless they leaned in, foreheads together. She looked up at him through her lashes "Edward, would it be too presumptuous to say that I'm not ready to invite you in?"

She felt his smile against her skin as a blush crept up her neck. "Bella, this has been the most perfect date of my life. Only one thing could make it better, tell me I can take you out again."

Bella rolled her eyes to hide her embarrassment and said, "Anytime."

"Oh, anytime?" he questioned leaning in and wrapping his arms around her waist. "How about I join you tomorrow for a run? I love to run."

"You do?" She pulled back to see his face. "OK. Meet me out front at eight thirty. I usually go for an hour."

"It's a date," he whispered against her temple. Reluctantly, he released her and wished her a goodnight.

After she was inside he let himself into his own home, undoing his tie and kicking off his shoes inside the door. As he reached to hang up his coat he caught himself whistling.

_Whistling? _he wondered to himself. _That's a first._

Across the hall, Bella sent Alice the one word text, "home," so that she wouldn't worry. Of course, Alice couldn't or wouldn't go to bed without replying.

ALICE: "alone?"

BELLA: "yes."

ALICE: "seriously?'

The next sound Bella heard was her phone ringing. "Alice, please," Bella begged.

"Bella, what happened?"

"What do you mean, 'what happened?'"

"I saw the look on your faces as you practically ran out of the party. I figured if anyone was getting lucky tonight, it would be you!"

"Oh come on Alice, you do know me better than that."

"I know you very well, Bella Swan, and I saw the unconcealed look of lust on your face."

"Well then, you should know that a little lust is the last thing that I'm going to let influence my social life."

"Whatever, sister. You should know, by now, that a little sex never hurt anyone, and I'm not sure what you have is anything resembling a social life. There are freshman at MIT who go on more dates than you.

"Ha Ha, best friend. Thanks for your support. "

"Seriously Bella, how long has it been?"

"I cannot believe we are discussing this again, Alice. You know that it has been…a while. Anyway, the amount of time makes no difference. I'm not going to turn my life upside down for a meaningless screw, with my neighbor, no less. You know I'm not built that way and you know very well that I don't know what the hell I am doing. Remind me, why I am supposed to be taking your advice on this? Weren't you Jasper Whitlock's child bride?"

"You know, Bella, snark isn't very flattering on you. This conversation isn't over. Breakfast?"

"Black's. 9:30. I'm running up. Might as well bring Jasper. He's just as much of an old gossip as you are."

Bella knew Alice would be annoyed to find out Edward was joining them, so she kept it to herself. Bella was relying on the element of surprise to distract Alice from the verbal onslaught she was waiting to unleash. Yeah, it was a stalling tactic. Alice could only be delayed for so long, but Bella knew there were questions she couldn't answer and she just needed a little breathing room.

Lying in bed, Bella deconstructed the evening. She had to admit it had been really fun. So much fun! Though she had seriously considered standing Edward up, when he arrived and put his hands on her waist the fear had been replaced with fluttering butterflies and Bella knew she was fully committed at that moment. That feeling was like a drug and Bella wanted to follow it for as long as possible. She found that if she stood close enough, Edward would keep his hand on the small of her back and the delicious butterflies would keep flying. So she did.

Walking into that room, she felt confident and it felt good. Though it was typical of her to shy away from attention, tonight Bella reveled in it. Too often, men like these dismissed her soft beauty and quiet demeanor in favor of the leggy, obvious blondes which could be found in every bar and club around DC.

Many who approached mentioned her program at Georgetown and congratulated her on her success in securing adequate funding. Could that be it? Could it be that for the first time Bella Swan had some power? Enough power to attract the attention of Washington's elite?

_Wow, _she thought. _That is crazy!_

_Bella's reverie was broken when she caught the eye of her best friend who was glaring at her from behind her drink. _

_Bella raised her eyebrows to Alice in an unspoken "What?"_

_Alice flicked her eyes impatiently toward Edward._

_Bella turned to find her date with a menacing scowl on his face as he glared at the retreating figure of the popular congressman who had been chatting Bella up. _

_Bemused, Bella turned back to Alice and mouthed the word, "Seriously?"_

_Alice nodded her head and rolled her eyes at her friends obliviousness. Affixing a stern gaze, Alice gestured for Bella to turn around and reconnect with her date. _

_Bella buried her smile in her pillow remembering the shocked look on Edward's face when she turned to him, saying, "Edward, I thought we were having drinks. Why are we spending so much time talking to all these boring public officials?"_

"_I have no idea," he replied, sternly and hurried her off to the bar. _

Encouraged by her newfound confidence, Bella flirted shamelessly, laughing out loud at his jokes and gazing deeply into his eyes while he talked about his work. She even touched his arm and his hand and let herself feel that tiny jolt of electricity that passed between them.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she suspected that there might be consequences for her behavior, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. For once, she felt like a regular girl; one without overwhelming responsibilities and a crushing sense of obligation. She felt light and happy and decided to damn the consequences, if only for one night.

Things at the diner had gone well. Bella managed to avoid discussing the boring details of her life and kept the conversation going with jokes and funny stories. She blushed under Edward's gaze. Looking back on it, he seemed incapable of taking his eyes from her face, but Bella knew that it was just the first flush of new…whatever it was, that kept them there. She doubted she had the ability to maintain his interest.

But it had felt so good to kiss him and smell him and peer at him through her lashes! Bella hugged her pillow to her chest and bit her lip.

_Yeah, _she thought. _Just enjoy yourself, for once, Bella. Just this one time._

Sighing, she rolled over and waited for sleep to claim her. Then she remembered the she owed the First Lady some serious payback.

"Oh, Abby Bartlet," she crooned, aloud. "You are so seriously in trouble."

Bella rolled over and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

Bella was pleased to see that Edward was on time for their run the next morning as she peeked at him before stepping outside. He looked like a runner, she noted. Sinewy and lean, with long muscles running up his legs, emphasizing his height. He wore an expensive pair of running shoes which were worn but not worn out, as hers usually were, and a ridiculously small pair of running shorts. Bella worried her bottom lip with her teeth, wondering if this was a good idea. She usually ran alone, taking the time to reflect and daydream, something she did a lot more since Edward had come along.

"Please don't let me fall," she muttered to the Fates before grasping the door and walking outside.

"Hey," she greeted him

"Morning." He turned and grinned. He wore a blue and gold UCLA sweatshirt that made his hair look coppery in the sunlight.

"Go Bruins," she said, with a pump of her fist. "So you really are from California?"

"Born and raised. Did you think I was making it up?"

"I guess I figured you as more refined Stanford guy than gritty, UCLA urbanite."

"What?" he exclaimed. "No way! I wouldn't have survived college without Tito's Tacos."

"Mmmmm," Bella moaned. "Tito's Tacos. I do miss those. Oh, speaking of dives, do you have time for breakfast? Alice and Jasper want to meet us at Black's."

"I have time, but you know I don't have any room in these shorts for a wallet." He smiled a wry grin and gestured toward his legs.

"I might have noticed… don't worry, it's on me. Consider it…uh…hazard pay for the interrogation we're going to get from Alice," she stammered and pulled a credit card from her pocket.

"Should I be worried?"

"Be afraid. Be very afraid," she quoted with a laugh.

He laughed too as they started down the street.

Running together was nice. Though they didn't talk, both taking the exercise seriously, there was the companionship of their breathing and the rhythm of their feet on the concrete. Edward emptied his mind, as he always did, and tried to lose himself in the movement of his body. It felt good to be back on the street He wished he had been jogging with her all along. He followed as she turned north into Rock Creek Park.

Bella watched him with covert glances as they ran. She knew the landscape was far different from L.A. and she wanted to see his reaction to it. Running through the park was one of her favorite things to do and taking the time for herself an indulgence. She found herself hoping he would love it too. He was silent, but his eyes were alive as he took in the bright green leaves and the rushing creek. Spring was a great time in the park. Bella smiled as they continued to beat a path through the forest.

They were laughing and exhilarated when they arrived at Black's an hour later. Edward spied Alice and Jasper through the window and turned to Bella. "Alice wasn't expecting me?"

"What?" She had forgotten that she had 'forgotten' to mention that Edward was coming with her. She peered at her friend through the glass. "How did you know?"

"Hmm, let me see, arms crossed, squinty eyes and she keeps running a finger across her throat."

"I told you to be afraid," she said.

"Well then, let's face the executioner so we can get on with breakfast. I'm starving. " he said and reached around to open the door for her.

Breakfast was, in a word, intense. As Alice began to pepper them with questions about their disappearance from the White House, Edward slipped his hand under the table and ran his knuckles along the side of Bella's leg to reassure her that he didn't mind the barrage of questions. In fact, he loved how loyal her friends were.

He hadn't expected his own reaction to that touch. For one second the heat of her skin burned into his. It was like an electric pulse.

_Surely much hotter than a mere ninety-eight point six degrees, _he thought, as the heat shot through his hand and up his arm.

He was about to move it, for his own self preservation, when he felt her squirm and shift position in her seat. His hand froze and his eyes cut to her face. Was she turned on by his touch? She was calmly nodding as Alice chattered on. He watched, mesmerized as she casually moved her own hand to cover his and bring it back to the top of her thigh. Slowly she caressed the back of his hand with her fingertips sending chills up his arm. He resumed his touches, rubbing circles on her skin with his thumb.

At some point the looked up and saw Jasper smirking at him from across the table. The girls were engrossed in conversation so Edward asked, "What?"

"So, it's going well?" he asked.

"What would give you that idea?"

"She can't stop smiling and you can't keep your hands off her leg, for starters." He grinned widely.

Edward coughed. "Ah yeah, it's going great. I mean, she hasn't run screaming from the building yet."

"You obviously haven't gotten naked in front of her, then." he quipped.

"Who's getting naked?" Alice interrupted.

Edward reddened, but Jasper leaned in and whispered seductively in Alice's ear until her eyes glazed over.

Jasper was quiet, but Edward managed to catch the words warm, oil, and massage. Before Edward could suffer further embarrassment Alice jumped out of her chair.

"OK, we're off," Alice snapped, collecting her things. "Edward it's been real. Bella, thanks for breakfast. I'll call you tomorrow. Coming Jasper?" She raised her eyebrows at her husband as she hustled to the door.

"Right behind you, Sug." He shook Edward's hand, kissed Bella's cheek and with a wink they were gone.

Outside Edward grabbed her hand as they made their way down the street. "So that was nice. " he said.

Bella smiled. "Glad she didn't scare you off."

"Pfft. It would take more than an over protective sister-figure to scare me off," he scoffed. "Plus the feel of your skin was amazing. Why would I leave?"

Bella blushed furiously and stared at the ground.

"Your hand felt…nice. I didn't want you to stop. Honestly," she paused as if deciding how honest she wanted to be. "t's been a long time since anyone's touched me like that and I wasn't ready for you to stop."

Edward looked at her quizzically. "Are you always so frank?" he asked

"Always," she replied. "Is that OK?"

Edward was unsure. He was used to a certain amount of gamesmanship when it came to dating; that flirtatious give and take which went on between two people at the start of a relationship. He relied heavily on the suggestive looks, flirtatious comments and innuendo which were so much of his interactions with women.

"I don't know. You're not like any girl I've ever met, Bella Swan. I suppose I could adapt." He reached for her waist.

"Maybe that's because I'm no girl, Edward Cullen." She playfully stepped aside. "I am a fully, grown woman." She looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes and took off running down the street.

Edward groaned. "Swan, you can't possibly feel playful after all those pancakes," he shouted and ran after her.

She was at least a block ahead when he saw her turn the corner. When he finally made the turn he saw that he was right down the street from the brownstone. Somehow they had come full circle on their jog and the restaurant had only been around the corner. He spied her sitting on the stoop and he slowed. He raised a hand to wave but when she saw him she quickly arose and ran inside. Curiously, the front door was open when he got to the house. Edward ran up the steps two at a time hoping to catch her, but she was already gone. Inside he found the door to her apartment open, as well.

He stepped into the living room calling out, "Bella!"

He stepped over her sneakers which were tossed in the walkway and made his way to the kitchen where he saw a full bottle of water sitting on the counter next to an empty one. He grabbed the water and had began to drink when he realized the only other sound in the quiet apartment was the shower running somewhere upstairs. Edward froze with the bottle to his lips. Bella had come in ahead of him. Bella had left the door open. Bella had left him a bottle of water on the counter and now Bella was in her shower…naked.

He swallowed, hard, put the water down and considered the possibilities. Was this an invitation? He looked to the stairway at the back of the kitchen. It was dark and turned to the right out of site. He noticed something white sitting at the bottom. He walked over and picked it up; a single sock. A few steps up he found it's mate. Grabbing the sock he turned the corner and began to walk up the stairs. His heart was pounding in his chest and for some reason an old Clash song ran through his head.

_Should I stay or should I go now? If I stay there will be trouble. If I go there will be double…_

He saw another scrap of fabric at the top. Grasping the rail, he bent down and picked it up. Her running shorts.

_Shit_

Looking around the small hallway he saw one door open with another article of clothing in front of it. Approaching slowly, he reached down. It was an old t shirt with writing on it. Grasping the shoulders, he unfurled it. "Go Bruins" it read.

_Double shit_

Had she been wearing this all morning? Had this been part of some plan to seduce him? Did he really care one way or another? Edward assured himself that he did care. The last thing he wanted was to burst in on an unsuspecting woman who was merely a messy un-dresser.

He felt impossibly confused, yet a pulsing ache in his groin urged him on. He took a tentative step into the bedroom. The shower was louder now. A patch of light shined onto the carpet from the partially open bathroom door.

_This indecision's bugging me….C'mon and let me know. Should I cool it, or should I blow?_

He had no idea how long he had been standing there. Several seconds? A few minutes? Hours? He looked down and dragged his fingers through his hair. There, framed by the light, was one last article of clothing.

A tiny pair of lace panties.

_It's always tease, tease, tease…_

Edward grasped the scrap of lace like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. He resisted the urge to bury his nose in them, instead exhaling a slow stream of breath.

"Tell me what to do, Mick?" he asked the singer in his head.

_You're happy when I'm on my knees, _the voice answered back.

Before he could conjure an image of Bella, in the shower, on her knees, in front of him, a voice broke through the silence.

"Edward," Bella called. "Are you coming in or not?"

* * *

**A/N OK the lemon's coming. I'm freaking out because I've never written one before. Please review. I am kinda desperate for feedback. I have no idea what I'm doing!**

**Thanks, jen**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Uh, yeah I chickened out on the lemon. As you will see Bella and I lost our nerve at the same time. Still, I'm hoping you won't give up on me. I'm really really angsty myself in RL so I just agonized over these 4000 words. Hope you feel like the story is still moving along.**

**

* * *

**

Before Edward could form a coherent response he was pulling his shirt over his head and toeing off his shoes. He nearly fell trying to get his socks and his shorts off at the same time. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door as the steam enveloped him.

He paused at the vanity and took in the outline of her figure through the fogged over glass. She stood under the water with her back to him, the water sluicing over her scalp and down her back. He could only stare.

"Tiny, heart-shaped ass with two sexy dimples on the small of her back…damn it Bella. You're gonna kill me!" he thought.

He didn't know why he was hesitating. He was very attracted to her and his body certainly seemed ready to seal the deal. But for the first time his heart seemed to want a say in the matter.

Five steps away Bella Swan stood under the steaming hot water and shook like a newborn foal. To say she was nervous would have been a huge understatement. Terrified might have come closer if you added, overwhelmed, surprised, chagrined and slightly sick to her stomach to the mix. When she ran up the street the idea seemed like a good one. She had felt frisky and sexy. Now anticipation had turned to dread and she was only a few seconds from talking herself out of the entire thing.

"Bella," She started at the sound of his voice. "Bella, are you sure? I mean a few hours ago you said you weren't ready. I don't want to rush you." She was silent and he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable standing there in the altogether.

"Crap, If he's having second thoughts what the hell does he think I'm having in here?" she silently cursed herself

She had been counting on his enthusiasm to carry her through her own doubts. The red flush of shame began to burn across her body and she bowed her head in defeat. She turned to face him and that flush turned to a slow burn. Edward was leaning against the sink feet crossed at the ankles and nude.

_Damn. Damn. Day-um._

She had expected to find Edward Cullen standing in her bathroom. What she hadn't expected was the hot glory that was Edward Cullen.

"Edward are you so flooded with offers to shower with women that you need more time to consider your options?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Snark," he thought. "She's standing there looking like a wet dream with those giant brown eyes and she's snarking me?"

_You are in so much fucking trouble Cullen._

He strutted to the shower door and placed his hands on either side. Leaning in he said, "Honestly Bella, the sight of your sex shower had me a little scared."

"S..s..sex shower!" she squeaked, taking a step back.

"Oh yeah. I'm impressed. A comfy bench seat. Ledges at various heights. Multiple shower heads. Nice. Very, very nice." He stepped under the water and pretended to look around. Edward was in his element, now and he was going to enjoy every moment of the script flip he had pulled.

"That seat is for shaving my legs!" she forced out. "And I just happen to have a lot of shower products…" Her voice trailed off as he stepped closer, forcing her into the far corner of the stall. It felt like her heart was beating in her throat and pounding in her ears. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took that final step backwards, flinching when her skin hit the cold tiles.

He pressed his hands to the wall on either side of her head. "Bella," he whispered. "What are the dual shower heads for?" He pressed his lips to her ear and she shuddered.

She fought to maintain some control over her senses. "I like…I like to have water on my front and back at the same time." Bella exhaled…hard and she felt him smile against her skin.

"Mmmm. You're right, it does feel nice….and warm…and wet." He began to kiss his way down her neck and Bella's mind went blank.

Edward was just as overcome. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her legs around him and thrust into her until she cried out in climax. But he couldn't go any further until he was sure this was what she wanted. Granted, inviting him into her shower was a pretty strong indicator of her intentions, but he wasn't going to take a chance on ruining whatever was growing between them, obvious puns notwithstanding. It hadn't escaped his notice that, as close as he was, she still hadn't touched him.

"So Bella, 12 hours ago you sent me home with barely a kiss and this morning we're in your shower. What changed between yesterday and today?"

"Yesterday I hadn't seen you in those incredibly small running shorts," she gasped out. "Yesterday I hadn't felt your hands on the flesh of my leg and yesterday I was still committed to being a nice girl…" She groaned as his hand ran down her side, caressing her waist. "T-today, I've decided I want to see how the other half lives."

He chuckled against her skin and asked, "So you thought I would be the perfect foil for the first time you let Naughty Bella out to play?"

"Mmmhmm."

"And you couldn't think of any steps between goodnight kiss and showering together?"

Bella sighed in frustration. "Edward, how long is this interview going to last?"

"Do you have somewhere you have to be?" he teased.

Bella opened her eyes to glare at him. Opening her eyes was probably not the best idea for strengthening her resolve. When she saw the amusement on his face the fear trickled back into her heart accompanied by an avalanche of doubt.

"You're right," she snapped. "This was probably a bad idea." She pushed past him toward the door.

"Bella, relax." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "This is supposed to be fun."

"Fun or funny?" she asked. "It has been a while, Edward, but I don't remember hecklers the last time I had sex. I'm sorry, but I've lost my nerve," she whispered. "Please finish showering. I'll make lunch."

She grabbed a towel and walked out leaving a stunned Edward standing with his mouth agape. You couldn't have paid him to form a coherent thought in that moment. He moved back under the water and quickly bathed while trying to figure out exactly when the morning had gone south.

Five minutes later, he grabbed his clothes from the floor and sat on the bed to get dressed. He wondered if maybe he had misread the signs and if she had just decided to go with it when she found him in her bathroom. Or maybe she changed her mind when she actually saw him…in the flesh, as it were. But he was sure that he had seen desire in her eyes when he pushed up against her under the water and until she walked out she hadn't protested, even once.

It had obviously been a mistake to joke around, but it had seemed to be a natural part of their interaction and it had felt comfortable, at the time.

"You really fucked up, Cullen," he muttered. "Jasper told you not to mess around with her and you did it anyway, asshat."

He found her in the kitchen, dressed and making sandwiches. She heard him coming down the stairs and fought the overwhelming desire to flee.

"This is your house, Bella." She reminded herself. "This is your mess. Face the music like an adult."

He paused before walking into the room. There was no way he was leaving without trying to fix things with her, but neither did he want to back her into another corner.

"Bella," he spoke softly, testing the waters. "Bella, I'm sorry I embarrassed you." He saw her shoulders tense and it made him feel terrible. "Bella please don't be angry with me." He stepped closer and slowly put his hands on her waist. Her shoulders relaxed and her head dipped down to touch her chest.

"Why would I be angry with you?" she whispered. "I'm pretty sure I am the tease who just stranded you in the shower."

"Tease? Don't say that. You just stepped a little too far out of your comfort zone, I guess, and I was too arrogant to take care of you."

She turned to look face him. "Oh no, Edward. This is not your fault! I am just so sorry. I want you to know that I won't let this effect your tenancy, but if you want to get out of your lease I completely understand."

The look on her face was heartbreaking. and Edward couldn't bear it for another moment. Carefully, he took her face in his hands and slowly brushed her lips with his thumbs. She looked on, eyes wide in amazement.

"Bella," he whispered and leaned in. Instead of capturing her mouth in a kiss he brushed his lips back and forth across hers. "As if I could leave," he breathed into her soft skin.

Edward lifted her to sit on the counter. Now face-to-face, he gave her a tender kiss. Bella responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss until he pulled back to look at her.

"Bella, I think you're putting way too much pressure on yourself. Do you make a habit of that?" he asked.

Bella crossed her arms and looked up. "Maybe," she replied, blowing the hair from her eyes.

"Will it set your mind at ease if I tell you that I like you and I have no agenda except to get to know you better?"

Bella bit her lip and said, "Maybe."

"Will you stop using words like tenancy and give me another kiss?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "If I must."

They kissed again and it was soothing and delicate and affectionate and everything that a kiss from a lover should be. Except they weren't lovers or sweethearts or companions and it filled Bella with longing; longing to be loved and considered and cared for in the ways that his kisses promised. She wanted to run towards them and grasp those promises with both hands, but years of restraint and self-denial allowed her to control the urge to put herself completely in this man's hands. Nevertheless, she wanted it and she wanted it badly.

Edward broke the kiss and stepped back. "So, I recall something about lunch?"

"Yeah. Sandwiches coming right up," she replied, jumping off the counter.

"Sandwiches? On homemade croissants?"

"On bread."

He raised his eyebrows. "Artisan bread?"

"White bread, Edward."

"Oh Bella, please tell me that after weeks of plying me with handmade delicacies, we're not having bologna and cheese on Wonder Bread." He clutched his chest in mock pain.

Bella put her hands on her hips and faced him. "Edward, if I made you butter and jelly on saltines, it'd still be the best butter and jelly on saltines you've ever had."

Edward smiled and put his arm around her, glad the tension was finally broken. "Tell me, are the saltines fresh? Is the butter imported? What kind of jelly is it, because I really prefer jam?"

Bella laughed and pushed him away with both hands. "Get off of me you snooty food snob. Go home and get dressed. Sandwiches in the living room in 10 minutes."

"Why? I've already showered." He wiggled his eyes suggestively.

Bella couldn't stop the blush creeping up her cheeks, but she laughed anyway. "I cannot stand looking at you in those Daisy Dukes you call running shorts for another minute. Go!"

He chuckled and made for the door. "Don't start without me."

When he had gone Bella laid her head on the counter and muttered to herself, "Bella you are in so much fucking trouble."

Edward returned as she was bringing the sandwiches into the room.

"Be right back with drinks. Make yourself comfortable."

Edward stood looking around the living room while Bella went to fetch the drinks. He was holding a silver frame when she returned. "Is this Ben's father?" he asked.

Bella peeked over his shoulder to look at the picture. It was Ben, Bella and a dark haired man at the beach, arms around each other, smiling at the camera. "Yeah," she replied, "That's Felix. He was my husband."

Edward knew he was pushing the boundary of politeness but he couldn't resist asking, "Does Ben see him very often?"

"Hmm, not as such," Bella replied with a sigh. "He's dead. He died a few years ago. Car accident."

Edward opened his mouth to speak. Bella help up a hand to stop him. "Don't apologize. It's kind of a trap, I know. You have to ask and then you find out the perfectly shitty answer so you feel you have to apologize. No apology necessary. We're OK. Maybe better than when he was alive."

Edward raised his eyebrows in question.

"Don't misunderstand. I wouldn't have wished for Ben's father to die. It's a miserable fact of life and I would give anything for Ben to have him back. But my life with Felix was, by and large, a suck-fest and we probably had a divorce in our future. As we are now, we have a pretty nice life and there's no bitter acrimony to stain Ben's memories of his father." Bella paused before adding. " It sounds pretty cold-hearted, right?"

"No," Edward shook his head. "Pragmatic? I'm thinking you've got a corner on pragmatism." He grinned but his eyes were sad. He hated the wrinkles that were appearing on her forehead and reached up with his thumb to rub gently between her eyes. She responded by closing them and leaning into his hand. Edward tangled his other hand through her hair and began slowly scratching down the length of her scalp.

Laying her forehead on his chest she made a kind of purring sound as she relaxed against him. He felt her limbs go loose and he continued, rubbing her back in slow circles, scratching her neck and the backs of her arms. She listened to his heart beating under her ear and slowed her breathing. In some part of her mind she wondered why spas didn't offer this kind of massage as his hands struck a languid trail up and down her back. He smelled of clean cotton and soap and that general maleness that all men seemed to have. She had missed that scent on her pillows and on her skin. For several minutes they stood there, eyes closed, exchanging little sounds of comfort.

Bella raised her head and gestured to the food. "Eat?" she asked.

He nodded and they sat on the sofa together. "How long ago?" he asked.

Bella frowned a little before answering. "Three years. But he was hospitalized for nine months before."

"Jesus, Bella, nine months? That must have been agony."

"You have no idea."

"Will you tell me about it?"

"You know what? I will. But not today. Today has been angst-y enough." She leaned back with her sandwich and put her head on Edward's shoulder and it was enough, for now.

A little while later, Ben and Charlie returned from their weekend fishing trip. Ben was full of excitement, as he had finally caught a fish large enough to keep. Charlie had cleaned and filleted the fish and now wanted to serve their catch for dinner.

Bella laughed at their enthusiasm. She was so glad that Ben had finally been able to fill her role as fishing companion to her father. Bella rose from the couch to hug her father and to reintroduce him to Edward. Charlie was surprised to find his daughter snuggled up in the living room with the tenant from across the hall and approached Edward warily.

"Edward," Charlie nodded, extending a hand but keeping a stern expression on his face.

"Mr. Swan. So glad to see you again." Edward also maintained a serious expression. Somehow he thought Charlie Swan wouldn't be as receptive to the "Cullen Smile" as his daughter.

"So Bella," Charlie said, turning to face her. "What say we fry up this fish and have us some dinner?"

"Edward, won't you join us?" Bella asked.

Edward took a wary look at Charlie before answering, "Sounds great. Should I go and get some wine?"

Charlie grunted, "Not as long as my daughter has plenty of beer, Edward." Charlie clapped Edward on the back and walking into the kitchen.

Bella rolled her eyes and followed. Edward heard her say, "Dad, give me a break." as she disappeared around the corner.

In the kitchen Edward offered to help. He felt Charlie's eyes on his every move as he grabbed a bowl of potatoes and cleaned them in the sink. Unfazed, Edward kept his eyes on Bella. The sounds of Ben and Charlie describing their trip faded into the background as he watched. Bella moved with an efficient grace as she prepared the meal. Her quiet confidence had returned and Edward enjoyed the quick smiles she flashed him as she chopped and breaded her way through the ingredients.

She made her way back to the sink and grabbed the potatoes, giving him a little hip check and he got a whiff of her shampoo. The scent of it sent chills down his spine. He pictured himself standing behind her, hands on her waist, nuzzling her hair while she made his meal. She looked up and gave him a smile he knew was only for him and he leaned in and kissed her tenderly, running his hands up and down her body as the kiss became passionate and she clasped her fingers in his hair.

_Mine_

Edward snapped, startled, from his reverie.

"There's nothing erotic about soap," he admonished himself. "And there is nothing proprietary about your relationship with Bella Swan."

But he wanted there to be. He couldn't deny it.

He grabbed a beer and joined the men at the table where Ben and Charlie had started a game of chess. Edward was impressed by Ben's level of play and by Charlie's patience with the boy. He let himself relax and enjoy being part of the family, even suggesting that he and Ben get together for a round of play sometime.

After a delicious dinner, Bella walked Edward to his door.

" I think it's obvious that I don't really know what I'm doing and I've never really dated and I have Ben and work and I'm not sure what's going to happen when you figure out how boring I am. I mean you live right here. It's not like you can avoid me completely if this gets really awkward. But I want to thank you for today and being so understanding and not making me feel like a total loser and well…just thanks…a lot." Bella wished that she could have stopped herself at some point during that onslaught of words. As it was already spoken, she looked at the floor while a blush crept up her neck.

Edward stood there, silently, waiting for her to finish. He was a little surprised to hear that she still felt so much anxiety. He thought that she would have gotten over it since the rest of the day had been so pleasant. He frowned when he noticed that the wrinkle between her eyes was back. Taking a hand from his pocket, he placed it gently on her shoulder.

"You're right," he continued. "We're both busy people and we probably don't have much time to build a relationship, right now. But there's just something about you…I just can't stay away from you anymore. And as for you being boring, well, " he leaned in an whispered, " if you never spoke another word and I could only watch you from afar, I would never be bored in your presence."

"Wow," Bella sighed, "That was impressive, Cullen. Are you always so smooth?"

Edward barked out a laugh. He marveled that she really had no idea of her effect on him.

"Bella, for the first time, since we met, I feel like my feet are finally touching level ground! You overwhelm me." He pushed back a lock of her hair and kissed her softly on the cheek.

She rolled her eyes in response. "Whatever, Edward. See you tomorrow." Bella turned and walked back home.

Back in her living room the picture they had been looking at earlier caught her eye. Turning off lights as she moved through the house, she carried the frame to the bedroom. She lay in bed thought about that day at the beach. They tried so hard to be happy for their son, but it was a futile effort. Bella traced the outlines of their faces through the glass of the frame and smiled remembering. Felix had been so lovely when they had met. He had been so lovely and she had loved him with all her heart. Somehow it hadn't been enough. She hadn't been enough.

In moments like this, Bella indulged her sensibilities and had a good cry. Tonight she knew that her tears wouldn't help anymore than they ever did. As usual, sense took over and Bella exhaled the breath she had been holding. As attractive and smooth as Edward Cullen was she knew it would be a mistake to take things any further.

She could not bear the pain of hurting someone she cared about and Edward Cullen would be very easy to care about. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt. Everything about him seemed to call out to her, the gold of his hair, the line of his jaw, the husky way his voice caressed her name and sent chills down her spine. The way his lips pouted when he was thinking something over drove her crazy.

Were grown men even supposed to have pouty lips? she wondered.

She tried to remember what it had been like when she first met Felix. She had been attracted to him. He seemed like the kind of guy she had always wanted to be with: tall, dark and intense. They had the same taste in music and art and they were both night owls, staying up watching late night TV after the rest of the dorm had quieted. When they made love for the first time, her first time, it had felt life altering. She had never felt so wholly connected with another person and for her there was no other choice but to fall in love. Everyone had been against it. Against them. Charlie wanted her to come home. Her mother begged her to spend the summer on some kibbutz she had heard about, 'sowing her wild oats.' Ultimately, their protestations were what joined Bella and Felix together, creating an alliance against their critics.

But no one could say that Bella hadn't done what was right. She worked hard to put herself through school and maintain her grades when she just knew everyone was waiting for her to turn up pregnant and unmarried. She hadn't really wanted medical school all that much, but she picked it because it was hard and if she succeeded everyone would know that she had been right and no one could say that Bella had let them down. Nope she just wouldn't let them say that about her.

Bella wished that she could have just told them all to fuck off and leave her alone. Looking back, she knew that moving on without Felix would have been better for her, but she was just too stubborn to allow anyone the opportunity to say, 'I told you so.' Now she wondered at the cost of it all. All the years of anguish. A husband who was unhappy and now a son without his father. And through it all, she had been completely miserable, as well.

"Thank God you didn't go through with it, Bella," she admonished herself.

How could she possibly have thought sleeping with Edward had been a good idea? He didn't deserve to be pulled into the 'Bella Vortex of Doom.' That special place where nothing ever went as planned and no one was ever satisfied.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

On Monday morning, Edward beat a path to Jasper's office. He had a few choice words for his friend and he required some answers as well. Jasper took one look at Edward's face framed in the doorway and jumped up, his eyes edgy with panic.

"What?" he nearly shouted.

"Jesus, Jasper, you could have at least told me she was a widow. It's not like it was a secret right?"

"What happened?" Jasper demanded.

"She propositioned me and when I responded…positively…she lost her nerve and walked out. It was horrible. She was completely humiliated, and maybe it could have been avoided if you had just given me some information."

"I asked you not to hurt her, man." Jasper placed his palms on the desk and leaned toward Edward.

Edward responded with a similar pose. The men faced each other in a kind of standoff.

Finally, Edward spoke, breaking the tension. "I didn't want to hurt her, Jasper. I really like this girl. Some warning that she had baggage would have been nice. That's all I'm saying." Edward collapsed into a chair.

"I'm sorry. I never thought she would have…I mean…I thought she would've told you more about herself."

"Well here's what's going to happen; you're going to tell me." Edward looked at Jasper, pointedly.

"Why do you care?" Jasper asked.

"Why do I care? What kind of a question is that? "

_Why do I care? I don't know, but I do._

Edward's eyes flitted around the room as if he was going to find the answer somewhere on the bookshelves in Jasper's office.

"To be honest, I don't really know why I care; I just do. The look in her eyes yesterday when she was apologizing…it broke my fucking heart, man. I don't want to see that look again, Jasper. So help me understand," Edward pleaded.

"What do you know?" Jasper sighed.

"I know that her husband is dead, and that their marriage sucked so badly that she's not entirely unhappy he's gone."

Jasper growled lowly. He absolutely hated getting involved in other people's personal lives. He supposed that he had no choice since he had encouraged Cullen to pursue Bella. Jasper looked at Edward through narrowed eyes as if he were deciding how far he could take this conversation. He turned in his chair to look out of the office window. The spring sunshine was a stark contrast to the dark emotions bubbling up inside him. He knew that Bella would be angry at his interference, but he didn't know what else to do.

Finally, he spoke, "The thing you have to know about Bella is that she has carried the weight of the world on her shoulders all her life. The way Alice tells it, she has always taken care of everyone else, despite her own needs. Don't get me wrong, she's no martyr; she just can't stand to let anyone down."

Edward nodded. That would certainly explain why Bella had been so apologetic yesterday. He silently cursed himself for rushing into the bathroom the way he had.

"Felix was an arrogant mother but you'd never know it to hear Bella describe him. He was 'an artist'. He was 'sensitive'. He was 'a lost soul'. You want my opinion? He was a selfish, immature, cocksucker, mama's boy and you know what else? I'm glad that he's dead. He sucked all of the life out of our girl and there was just no excuse for it."

Edward was momentarily surprised by friend's anger. Jasper was typically serene. A sick feeling washed over him as he considered what the man could have done to deserve Jasper's animosity. Edward got up and paced the small office, feeling his own anger building.

Turning toward Jasper he snarled, "Did he lay hands on her?"

"Naw." Jasper waved Edward off. "He didn't have the fucking guts to do anything that would actually make her to get up and leave or allow Emmett and me to give him the beating he deserved. He just …he was just a dead weight around her neck and it was everybody else's fault.

"He whined all the God damned time about how the world was out to get him; like the world gave a fuck about his derelict ass. Never worked more than a few months at any job before getting fired. Never pulled his weight around the house and never took care of that beauty he called 'wife.'"

Jasper paused to calm himself. "Did you know that she worked full time to put herself through med school?"

Edward shook his head.

"Full-fucking-time. I don't know how the hell she pulled it off, but she did. She went to school all day and then pulled overnights as a pharmacy assistant. Meanwhile, Mr. Sensitive was riding the sofa or surfing the web. Alice and I visited them one weekend on our way to the beach. She was so excited to see us and show us the little house they were renting."

Jasper leaned forward from his seat.

"We could actually hear the asshole snoring before she got the door open. The place was a mess; dirty dishes in the sink, beer bottles on the coffee table. The best part was that he'd left her a note on the kitchen table letting her know he was out of clean underwear. The look on her face… she was so embarrassed." Jasper paused, remembering.

"I was livid. I wanted to kill him and I know Alice wanted to let me. But Bella wasn't having any of it. She made some excuse about the little shit being under the weather and hustled us out to a restaurant. We didn't even stay the night, and we never went back. Neither Alice nor I could stand the way she put up with him.

"Anyway, he gets a job in California and it was going to be his big break. So she transferred out there and he actually started working and it seemed like he had finally grown up. Bella was happy and she loved the program that she had found. Her research was being recognized by the academics and there was no doubt that her dissertation was going to be accepted and published."

Edward interrupted, "Dissertation? I thought she was an MD?"

"She's both. The woman did her research in developmental psychology while she finished her residency in pediatrics. Some special program she got into out there. I told you she was smart."

Jasper watched the man in front of him intently, trying to figure out what he thought of all this information. Edward had been white knuckling the arms of the chair while listening to Jasper's diatribe. Now, dueling emotions flitted across his face--sadness, admiration, awe?

Edward's brows knitted together and he asked, "Ben?"

"She got pregnant with him at the end of her residency and by the time he was born, she was able to focus on research. Felix was still working, and for the first time they had a little money coming in. It seemed like everything had actually worked out the way Bella always said it would."

Edward exhaled and leaned back in his chair. He really wasn't sure he could handle any more of this tension, but he knew he had to hear it all.

"But," he prompted.

"But her asshat husband had an affair, and when she found out he blamed it on her. He said she wasn't pretty enough and he wasn't going to be tied down while the bright lights of Los Angeles beckoned." A look of disgust crossed Jasper's face before he continued.

"So she _finally_ throws his ass out, and that same damned day he gets hit by a car while helping someone change a tire on the interstate. Would you believe it? He never lifted a finger all those years and he dies on the side of the road acting like the Good fucking Samaritan."

Edward sat with his eyes closed and his forefinger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose. He was sure that Bella wouldn't want him to feel pity for her, but he couldn't help but feel emotional about what he had heard. He wondered how any man could marry that amazing woman and then fail to worship her every day.

The man who had caused Bella's pain was gone and Bella was fine, now. He supposed that if she was OK then he had no choice but to let his feelings go. Anything else would be irrational and that was only a few short steps from crazy. Crazy was not something Edward wanted to be, so he waited with his eyes closed until the anger left his body.

Opening his eyes, he rose to thank Jasper and shake his hand.

"Cullen, for what it's worth, I've never seen her happier than she was at breakfast. There was a light in her eyes that wasn't there before."

Nodding, Edward turned and made his way back to his office.

Edward had a lot to think about. He sat at his desk still feeling a little bit angry and a little bit numb. It was obvious to him, now, that he hadn't really spent enough time getting to know Bella before trying to become intimate with her. It was a surprise to him that he still wanted to. Typically, Edward avoided situations which required him to give too much of his time or energy to another person. His work demands and personal drive kept him too busy to let someone into his life, in that way.

But he couldn't ignore the bitter feeling in the pit of his stomach, and that had to mean something, right? He just wanted to go to her and hold her in his arms. He wanted to touch her and show her how appealing she was. He wanted to show her that love could be passionate, giving and sweet.

_Love?_

Edward let that word bang around his head for a minute. Did he really want to love Bella? Was he capable of loving her? He knew that he felt a strong and instant physical attraction to her. He had a heart-felt desire to take care of her. He also found her amusing and interesting, even compelling, but were those the foundations of love?

_Why not?_

On impulse he opened his online dictionary and entered 'love'.

_**Love [luhv] - noun**_

_**1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.**_

_**2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.**_

_**3. sexual passion or desire.**_

_Wow. Three out of three. _

Edward rubbed his palm, roughly, across his jaw while he considered this information.

_OK, you love her, _he told himself. _Are you in love with her?_

Edward wondered how a person who had never been in love before was supposed to know if they were in it or not? It wasn't as if he had a sudden urge to purchase a ring or buy a house or some romantic thing like that. He was eating and sleeping at regular intervals and, well, he just felt like himself…except for one thing, the butterflies. Now that he thought about it he realized that the butterflies had been present ever since that very first time he saw Bella in her apartment.

Edward closed his eyes and pictured Bella standing at her door with her cheeks flushed and her braids flying. In response, he felt the now familiar trembling in his stomach. He remembered holding her at the party, watching her from his window and touching her leg at the restaurant.

_Yup, total flutter fest._

He uttered a quiet curse and sat back, heavily, in his chair. Just then, his assistant, Kathy walked into his office with an armful of folders.

"Everything OK, Edward?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine," he muttered. "What's up, Kathy?"

Kathy proceeded to lay out the day's work on Edward's desk, while he struggled to pay attention to what she was saying. As she turned to leave he blurted out, "Hey, Kathy, you're married, right?"

She nodded, in reply.

"How did you know? I mean how did you know it was love?"

Kathy fought the urge to grin and pretended to contemplate Edward's question. The truth was that she had always known her husband was 'the one'. She just knew from the moment she met saw him on the quad at college. However, as she considered Edward's serious expression, she doubted that was the answer he was looking for.

_And what an expression it is, _Kathy thought, _Whomever she is, I hope she can handle that pout._

"Well, I guess it was a feeling that I had." Her brow wrinkled as she tried to put her feelings into words.

"A feeling?" Edward leaned forward in his seat.

"In the pit of my stomach. Sort of like…" Kathy's voice trailed off.

"Butterflies?" Edward choked out.

"Yeah." Kathy nodded. "That's exactly what it was, butterflies, in my stomach. I felt it all the time." She smiled. "In fact, I still do."

The look of confusion on Edward's face was almost laughable. Kathy reached out and patted his arm. "You'll figure it out," she said. Then she winked and walked out.

_People in this town wink too much_, he thought, sourly.

"You all wink too much!" he shouted out the door.

From the outer office, he heard Kathy's laughter.

"Get back to work!" she shouted back.

Grumbling, Edward turned to his computer and started writing because he knew that the faster he finished the faster he would get home to Bella. He found the thought comforting.

"Bella," he whispered, and opened the first file.

* * *

Across town, Bella and her assistant, Angela, were reviewing Bella's schedule for the week. She wanted to fill up as many of her free hours as possible. She wanted to refocus her attention on her highest priorities, Ben and work. She wanted to avoid Edward Cullen. She knew it would just be too tempting to spend time with him if she saw him on a regular basis and that included passing in the hallway of their building.

As luck would have it, Ben decided he wanted to join the Cub Scouts. Charlie agreed to join with him and the two began to spend Friday's and Saturday's together, going to meetings and working on badges. It was almost a dream come true for Charlie who already owned a basement full of camping and fishing gear. Ben was becoming the companion he had always hoped Bella would be. It became the regular Sunday routine for the three of them to dine together and share whatever fish Ben or Charlie had caught the day before.

At first, Charlie asked if Edward would be joining them. But as the days turned to weeks and Edward didn't appear for Sunday dinner, Charlie let the subject drop and as was their practice, it wasn't discussed.

Bella looked at the free time as an opportunity to immerse herself in her work. She took more evening appointments and shifts on the pediatrics floor, filling in for doctors who needed time off on the weekends.

Bella's increased presence at the hospital had an added benefit, more referrals to her department from emergency room doctors and hospital pediatricians. Bella's work was always engrossing but the extra client load required more hours at Georgetown's medical library, researching and collaborating with other professionals. Soon, all her free time was occupied.

She continued her morning runs, leaving from the basement door instead of the front stoop. In fact, Bella tried to avoid the front hall as much as possible by parking in the garage and entering through the basement. Climbing the basement stairs made her feel grumpy as they were dark and ugly. But she felt it was better than the alternative: engaging that occasion of sin she called Edward Cullen.

By comparison, Edward did not find this to be lucky at all. After three weeks of unanswered texts and phone messages, Edward had to face the fact that he was being ignored. It was especially galling to a man who had just realized that he was in love for the very first time.

He didn't know a lot about love, but he knew that when you realized you were experiencing it you were supposed to tell the other person and there was supposed to be some kind of emotional outpouring. He also felt strongly that there should be some sort of sexual activity involved.

Instead, Edward sat with his phone in his hand wondering what in the hell had happened to his life.

He was working like a madman each day trying to get home early enough to catch Bella awake. So far, he had been greeted only by her darkened windows as he made his way up the stairs at night. He never heard the sounds of their comings and goings in the hallway between their apartments, and he no longer saw her preparing for a morning run outside his windows. Twice he had come home early enough that he should have been able to greet Ben as he arrived home from school, but he neither saw nor heard Ben on either occasion.

It was as if they had disappeared.

Edward felt lonely without them. He never felt lonely. His life was busy and full and he liked the freedom of living alone, but this was different. He missed knowing they were right across the hall, and he missed…her.

He spoke to his father, describing Bella and his feelings, hoping that Carlisle would have some insight or at least some advice about how he could fix this ridiculous situation he had gotten himself into.

"She sounds spooked, Edward," his father told him.

"Spooked? Like a horse?" Edward was confused by this reference.

"Yes." His father chuckled. "Just like a horse."

"I'm confused, Dad. What does Bella have to do with a horse?"

"Edward, women, like horses, are sometimes skittish, easily scared, if you will, and they run off. When a horse is spooked it can take off and not stop running for hours."

Edward wondered what his mother would say if she heard his father comparing women to horses. As if on cue, he heard his mother's voice in the background.

"Now, Esme," he heard his father say through the muffled receiver. "let me handle this…no, I'm not saying you're a horse…Esme. The boy's calling long distance," Carlisle pleaded.

"Look, son," Carlisle spoke into the receiver. "It sounds like she's been scared by something, and she's hiding. It may have been the result of something you did, but considering the brief period that you've known each other, my guess is that it's something or someone else in her life."

Edward heard a click that indicated his mother had picked up the phone in her kitchen.

"Edward, dear, who's the horse?"

"There's no horse, Mom. There's a woman I like and for some reason I can't get a hold of her and I haven't seen her and I don't know what to do about it."

"Edward, how do you feel about the fact that you can't see her?" Esme asked.

"Well I felt fine, at first."

Edward went on to describe the notes and the cocktail party and running and how he felt the first time he saw Bella. He explained what his assistant, Kathy, had told him about the butterflies and how she knew that her husband was 'the one'. He even told them about looking up the definition of love on his computer and this feeling he had that he might be in love with her. He explained about his loneliness and his sadness now that they weren't around anymore. Finally, he ran out of words and waited, expectantly, for their opinions.

"You…love…her?" His stunned mother asked.

Too late, he realized his mistake and winced. Through tight lips, he replied, "I think so."

The sound of the phone dropping clattered in his ear, and he was glad she had dropped the receiver because the next sounds he heard were her squeals echoing around the kitchen of her home. He imagined she might be jumping as well, and his guess was confirmed when he heard his father's voice asking her to stop hopping and calm down.

A few moments later he heard them both get back on the line.

"Edward," his mother said, breathlessly. "we're flying out to see you."

"Mom-" Edward started.

"No, we're not," Carlisle interrupted.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because Edward doesn't need his parents flying in to help him with his girlfriend," Carlisle replied.

"Dad, she's not-" Edward started again.

"Nonsense, Carlisle," his mother spoke, angrily. "A boy can always use his parents' help."

"Mom-"

"He's not a boy, Esme, he's a man, and no man needs his mother's help with a woman."

"Dad-"

"Hmmph," Esme snorted. "If it hadn't been for your mother, Carlisle-"

"Guys!" Edward shouted into the phone. "Can you have this conversation without me? I have to get back to work."

"Of course, dear," Esme answered. "But first, can I give you one bit of advice?"

"Sure."

"If you love her, or even if you only think you love her, then you have to find her and convince her to love you back."

"Dad?" Edward questioned.

"I agree, Edward. If you think she's worth it, you have to fight for her. Even if it means fighting whatever it is that has her scared. Love is always worth fighting for."

Edward thanked them and said goodbye. He didn't really have to get back to work. He just didn't want to be on the phone anymore while their good natured bickering turned to flirting, which invariably turned to sexual innuendo. He wasn't embarrassed by his parent's ongoing love affair he just wasn't in the mood to be their audience today.

It was the weekend and he was completely free. He lay on the sofa with his hands tucked under his head and stared at the ceiling of his living room. He wondered where she was. Just for the hell of it, he called Bella's mobile, which went to voicemail. He didn't bother leaving a message that he knew would be unanswered.

He picked up the mail and went through his bills.

He vacuumed his living room and the outside hallway. When he was finished, he stood there and stared at her door. In a moment of weakness he actually pressed his ear against the glass and listened just to be sure no one was home.

He walked down to Starbucks, ordered a coffee and tried to read the paper, but he couldn't concentrate, so he went back home.

He checked the time-only two o'clock.

He paced. He folded his laundry.

He grew frustrated.

He ate. He checked his watch.

He grew more anxious and frustrated as the afternoon turned into evening.

Finally, he shouted, "Damn it, Bella Swan! Where the hell are you?"

He was startled, just then to hear the doorbell ring. He ran to the door and flung it open hoping to see Bella. Instead, Jasper and Emmett stood there grinning widely.

"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted. "We were wondering. Is Bella home?" Both Jasper and Emmett let loose with good-natured-laughter.

"Fuck off. What do you want?" Edward scowled and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind him.

"Well, so nice to see you too." Jasper grinned and the two men followed Edward into the room.

"Sit," Edward ordered and walked into the kitchen. The other men made themselves comfortable on the sofa.

Edward returned from the kitchen with three bottles.

"Beer," he muttered and passed them each a lager.

The three men sat in silence for a few minutes drinking their beers. Emmett raised his eyebrows and nodded to Jasper.

Sighing, Jasper looked at Edward and asked, "So, Edward what is it that's got you so damned pissed off on a fine Saturday evening?"

Edward leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his unruly hair.

"Bella's avoiding me. I sat here all day, hoping she would turn up and she hasn't. She won't take my calls and she won't return my texts. I have no idea what I've done wrong. I'm lonely. I miss her and, yeah, I'm pissed off about it." Edward took a long draught of his beer.

Emmett and Jasper looked bemused by their friend's outburst.

"How could you possibly be missing her? You hardly know each other," Jasper questioned.

"I know. I know!" Edward got up and resumed pacing. "It's not like me to care this much about another person, but I think I got used to her being on the other side of the wall and now I can't stand knowing that she's not there anymore. What's worse is that she's avoiding me, and I don't even know why."

"She's in your head," Emmett acknowledged, nodding.

Edward looked up and stared at Emmett for a moment and then nodded back.

"Yes, I guess she is," he replied.

"Well we were going to ask you to hit Black's for dinner, but I don't think that's the place for you to be crying in your beer over Bella," Jasper explained.

"Definitely not," Emmett agreed.

"So, Em is going to get us some more beer, I'm gonna call in some food, and then you're gonna cheer the fuck up because I promised Alice I'd bring you out and I refuse to say no to my wife."

Jasper gave Emmett a meaningful look behind Edward's back. Emmett nodded and made for the door. Once outside, Emmett flipped open his cell phone and dialed. He sighed with relief when he heard her voice answer, "Hello?"

"Bella, baby!" he shouted as he jogged down the steps and away from the brownstone. "What's going on, girl?"

"Not much, Emmett. What's going on with you?"

"Not much, Jella Bella. Will I see you at Black's later?"

"Does Jasper wear ass-less chaps to bed?" Bella joked.

"Oh damn it, Bella! What did I tell you about that shit? Too. Much. Information!" Emmett cried. "I do not want to know what kinky business goes on in my sister's bedroom!"

Bella was silent. He knew she was laughing too hard for sound, as she always did when she was trying to gross him out. Eventually, her silent laughter became snorts, which became cries of pain from laughing too hard.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" she wailed, trying to compose herself.

"Bella, it wasn't even that funny. Why can't you just stick to 'Is the Pope Catholic?' like normal people?"

"I can't help it," she gasped. "I just love putting uncomfortable ideas into your head."

"Where are you that you can behave in such a childish manner?" he asked

"At work, of course. Where are you?" She giggled.

"I'm at Edward's."

Emmett waited to see what she would say.

"Oh," she said quietly, the laughter gone from her voice.

"Is there anything you need to talk about?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Bella?" he questioned.

"There's nothing to tell, Emmett. I'm at work," Bella sighed. "I really need to get back to it. So, I'll see you later. OK?"

"Bella-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted. "I gotta go." She hung up.

Back in the apartment, Jasper ordered pizza and wings, then joined Edward in the living room. Edward sat in an armchair with his head thrown back and his eyes closed; one arm flung across his forehead.

"You look like a fuckin' damsel in distress. What the hell has happened to your balls, Cullen?"

"I think they're wrapped up in a pink box somewhere with a brown ribbon tied around them," Edward croaked without moving his arm.

Jasper snorted. "Could be. Could be," Jasper said philosophically. "Or maybe you've forgotten how to be a man."

"Are you kidding me?" Edward yelled, sitting up in the chair. "This from the guy who's so damned whipped that he owns ass-less chaps."

Jasper chuckled. He was only trying to get a rise out of his friend and he was amused that it had been so easy.

"DAMN IT!" Emmett's voice boomed from the doorway causing both men to jump in their seats.

"ENOUGH WITH THE ASS-LESS CHAPS, ALREADY!"

The look of angst on Emmett's face was enough to send both men into fits of laughter. Emmett did not find either of them amusing and said as much as he made his way into the room, using language that would have made a sailor blush.

"My father says she's spooked," Edward offered when they had calmed down.

"Hmmm?" Jasper hummed as he got up to pay the pizza delivery guy.

"The reason Bella has disappeared," Edward explained. "My father says it's because she's spooked. Something's scared her and she's run off."

Edward had Jasper's attention now, mostly due to the horse reference. "He could be right. Let me ask you, what happened the last time you saw her?"

"Well, that was the day we met you for breakfast. You know, the day she…uh….well she was in the shower and…" Edward's voice trailed off.

"You showered with her?" Emmett's voice was disbelieving.

"It wasn't like that," Edward tried to explain. "She was…amazing. But I just wanted to be sure that she was…uh sure, you know? So I was teasing and trying to be funny and she got mad…and walked out."

Edward was pulling his hair with both hands now. Emmett and Jasper sat in stunned silence.

"Shit, Cullen. You saw the woman naked and you didn't have sex with her. No wonder she's missing in action. She probably thinks you're gay!"

Now Emmett spoke up. "Nope, that's not it."

"I know," Edward replied. "She's angry because I was so immature."

"I don't think so," Emmett replied.

"Well." Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Care to enlighten us?"

"Look, I don't know much, but I do know about Bella Swan." Emmett turned to Jasper. "Let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed that Bella has to do everything herself? That she absolutely refuses to let anyone do anything for her?"

Jasper nodded.

"What about gifts? Has she ever bought you a nice gift?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, she's really thoughtful in that way and she always makes my favorite cake on my birthday," Jasper agreed.

"Have you ever bought her a birthday present?"

"Not in a while, man. She won't let me."

"What does she say when you thank her for something?"

Jasper thought about it for a moment. "She makes a joke about herself or changes the subject."

"What happened last year when the hospital wanted to throw a dinner honoring her for the work she had done for children with special needs?"

"She asked them to spend the money on medical research instead."

"Why do you think she would do that? I think we would all agree that she's a nice person. Not particularly controlling or bitchy."

They nodded in agreement.

"So why would nice, friendly, non-bitchy Bella Swan go to so much trouble for everyone else but not let anyone lift a finger for her? Why would she deflect every compliment she's ever been given, and why, for God's sake, would she make such an obvious play for Cullen and walk away?" Emmett summarized.

They sat in silence for a moment and then Edward spoke up.

"She thinks she's not worth it?" he said.

"She thinks she's not worth it," Emmett agreed, gesturing toward Edward.

"Shit!" Edward whispered. "How in the world can she believe that about herself? She's so beautiful and smart, and look what she's accomplished."

"I don't know, but I can tell you that she has always been this way. That's just Bella." Emmett answered.

"Why didn't I ever figure this out?" wondered Jasper. "We've known each other a long time."

"Probably because of Alice."

"Alice?"

"Alice is just about the only one who can get away with taking care of Bella. With Alice around you don't have to butt heads with Bella because Alice is really hard to deny…in anything."

"Pssh. Tell me about it!" Jasper agreed. "There was this one time, when we were in the bed-"

"STOP!" Emmett held up his hand cutting Jasper off. "I don't care if you were only painting the walls. I don't want to know about what goes on in your bedroom."

After Emmett's outburst, the men sat in silence mulling over their conversation. Edward looked at Jasper and Emmett and saw the anguish in their eyes. He marveled at the depth of feeling they shared for a woman who was no true relation to either of them. He was struck again by the way her friends loved her. Until he met Bella, he couldn't think of a single person, outside his family, for whom he cared as more than an acquaintance. Now he was as deeply mired in her life as he was in his own.

Edward leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his face, roughly, with the palms of his hands and sighed. He was really tired of feeling so clueless when it came to this woman. It seemed that every move he made was the wrong one, and he wasn't used to making so many missteps.

"Look, before I permanently screw up any chance of ever seeing Bella naked again, will you please tell me what to do?" Edward pleaded.

Jasper and Emmett leaned forward and the three began to discuss strategy.

* * *

***jen waves at readers***

**hi there! a boatload of people have read this story but...uh...very few have reviewed. so what's up? i'd love to hear the good, bad and the ugly. **

**edward learns to shag in the next chapt, so if you think encouraging me a little might get that written faster...well, you could be right.**

**thanks to the ladies at PTB. they really are so generous and excellent at what they do.**

**thanks for your time!**

**jen**

**p.s. have you ever seen ben harper in concert? i'm really into him right now and i can't get his website to work, so i don't know if he tours. js**


	6. Chapter 5

**Thanks to Niki and Lezlee, betas from PTB for their editing and valuable feedback. I think I'm getting better at this, but only with the help from the intrepid PTB betas!**

**Disclaimer: Author owns no material copyrighted by S. Meyer or Aaron Sorkin, and intends no copyright infringement, although, did you know Nora Roberts had an Edward Cullen in one of her books before Twilight came out? Never saw that disclaimer anywhere…**

* * *

Chapter 5

Edward stared into his closet with a some consternation. He wanted to be comfortable and relaxed when he saw Bella, and he didn't want to look like he was trying too hard. He grabbed his oldest jeans and his favorite Clash t-shirt. Although Mick Jones had let him down a few weeks ago, he felt that was no reason to give up on his favorite band.

His conversation with Emmett and Jasper had been enlightening, and when the men had put their heads together, Edward began to realize that his situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed.

Jasper had reminded him that he had a very useful skill, the power to influence with words. As a speech writer for the President, he was responsible for crafting the messages which were used to convince people the world over to think, believe and act in certain ways.

Although he was an attorney, Edward's undergrad degree was in literature. He was a lover of books and the way that they could transport you to a different place, and as Emmett had tactfully pointed out, "women loved that shit."

What he wasn't so sure of was the idea that Bella felt herself unworthy. His heart broke a little every time he thought about it.

_Unworthy of what? _he wondered. _I only want to spend a little time…_

Looking around his room, Edward let himself imagine his heart's desire.

_Bella sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to finish getting dressed. Bella leaning back on her hands as her legs kick against the hem of the bedspread. Bella laughing at him and crooking her forefinger in a come hither gesture. Bella squealing as he flops down beside her and buries his nose in her hair._

Even in his imagination, her laugh filled him with happiness.

Edward shook his head a little to clear his mind's eye. Unable to wait a moment longer to see her he grabbed his keys and ran out the door.

* * *

As Bella made her way from the Metro station to her favorite neighborhood bar, she felt a twinge of excitement. It had been a while since she had a night out, and she was looking forward to seeing her girls.

During her college years she hadn't socialized much, and with Alice so far away girl talk had been kept to a minimum. Thankfully when Bella returned to DC, Alice had rounded up a nice group of friends for them to spend time with and they were just what she needed tonight, after the long hours she had been working.

Bella was happy to see their friends filling their regular table. The bar owner and her father's good friend, Billy, was behind the bar. She gave him a quick wave and made her way to the back.

When the food was served and everyone had a fresh drink, the girl talk began in earnest.

"So, Bella what's going on with that pretty hunk of hotness living next door to you?" Kathy asked, leaning in.

"Kathy!" Bella admonished, looking scandalized. "I have no idea who you are talking about."

"Oh please. I hope you don't think you're kidding anyone here." Kathy winked. "Dish it, Bella. Have you seen him running out to get the paper in nothing but a towel? "

"What about getting the mail in jeans with no shirt?" Ginger mused, "I'll bet he looks really yummy in jeans."

The other women nodded in agreement and leaned a little closer to Bella. She took a sip of her drink and looked at Alice, begging with her eyes for intervention. She certainly wasn't going to recount the most embarrassing moment of her life while sitting in the middle of Black's, or anywhere else, for that matter.

"Listen, girls you know enough about Bella to know that she isn't going to tell us anything." Alice chided. "I can, however, report that he has a fine ass that looks absolutely bite-able in running shorts."

The attention turned toward Alice and for a few minutes they discussed Edward, other fine DC physiques and their general confusion about the opposite sex.

"…this is why I'm very happy to be off the market," Kathy concluded. "But you, my dear Bella, are very much _on_ the market, so let's get back to tonight's most interesting topic, you and Edward Cullen."

"There's really nothing to tell," Bella insisted. "Besides, you all see him a lot more than I do. You must have the goods on him by now," Bella asserted, trying to throw the attention away from herself.

Kathy huffed in exasperation. "I've got nothing. First of all, he's not nearly as scared of me as Sam was and secondly, he never gets personal at work. It's extremely frustrating to have zero gossip on the new guy."

The other women nodded. Bella knew it wasn't entirely true. Her last conversation with Jasper had confirmed that Edward was speaking to someone about his personal life.

"Oh wait," Kathy exclaimed. "He did say something funny a few weeks ago." She paused for effect. "He asked me how I knew that my husband was 'the one'. Wonder what prompted him to ask that?"

All heads turned to Bella who blushed bright pink under the attention.

"Don't look at me." She shook her head. "I haven't seen him in weeks."

"What?" all three women exclaimed.

"What do you mean you haven't seen him? You live right across the hall."

"We went on that one date and I've been busy with work since then." Bella was circumspect.

"He hasn't called?"

"Um, yeah he's called."

"And what did you talk about?"

Bella looked away. "We seem to be playing phone tag," she muttered.

Alice pursed her lips but made no comment. She could see that her friend was on the verge of an emotional shut down and Alice wanted Bella to be as receptive as possible when Jasper and the others showed up.

"Hey, girls," Alice said, jumping up. "Let's have one more round before the men break up this little hen party." She took the pitcher and headed to the bar.

Alice worried that springing Edward on Bella was a bad idea, but Jasper seemed convinced that arranging a casual meeting was the way to go. Alice had to admit some surprise at Jasper's involvement. He usually left the matchmaking to his wife and she was pretty good at it, but Bella was a special case. They both loved her dearly, and wanted her to be happy. Alice didn't think Bella needed a man to be happy, but she was lonely and Alice felt a little companionship and some TLC could go a long way to putting a smile on her friend's face.

Alice looked around nervously as she approached the bar. "Hi, Billy," she called out. "Is Jacob in tonight?"

The last thing she needed was that wild flirt, Jacob, messing up their plans.

"Nope. He had a hot date tonight. But I'll bet he would have stayed if he had known you all were coming in," Billy finished with a wink.

"You know your son is not ready for a woman like Bella. She is strictly major league and Jacob, well Jacob is still Double-A, don't you think?"

Billy snorted and handed Alice a fresh pitcher of Margaritas. "Whatever you say, Alice. Doesn't mean it will keep a man from trying. Sometimes one good score is all it takes to get a man into The Show."

Alice laughed. "I have no idea what we you are talking about, old man," she teased and took the drinks back to her friends.

After one more round of drinks, Ginger and Kathy were talking about going home. Bella was considering leaving as well, when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her up and out of her chair.

Bella squealed in surprise and reached up with a hand to cover her mouth.

"Emmett, you big idiot!" she shouted. "You're gonna make me barf! Put me down."

Emmett just roared with laughter and whirled her around like a rag doll. The other bar patrons looked on with amusement and then went back to their beers.

Before Emmett returned her to the ground he whispered in her ear, "Edward's here."

Bella whispered back. "I knew you wouldn't be able to mind your own business."

"Aw, Bella he's a nice guy, and he likes you." He grinned widely and kissed her cheek. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist his dimples.

Bella rolled her eyes at him and blew her bangs out of her eyes with a huff of air. Pasting a smile on her face, Bella turned to face Edward. As usual, she was caught off guard by the brightness of his eyes and she had to blink hard to keep herself from staring. Too bad she couldn't control her heart, which felt like someone had switched it onto high speed.

Clearing her throat Bella said, "Hey, Edward. Nice to see you." She leaned in to give him the requisite polite hug and kiss.

"Hello, Bella," he replied in a low voice. He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and whispered, "You look lovely, as always."

Bella felt her traitorous blush color her cheeks. Before she could squeak out a response, Alice interrupted with a tap on Edward's shoulder.

"Hey, you!" she shouted and threw her arms around his neck for a big hug.

Edward looked surprised, but lifted Alice off the ground and enthusiastically hugged her back. When Alice was back on her feet Jasper clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

"Alright now, let's get our drinks settled because I want to dance with my baby." He grinned at Alice and wrapped his arms around her. "Margaritas?"

Alice only smiled and handed him the pitcher.

Twenty minutes later, everyone had a drink and Alice and Jasper had made their way to the crowded dance floor. Emmett stood at the bar talking with Billy, and Edward and Bella sat in awkward silence at the table.

Edward watched his friends dance with growing confusion until he just had to ask, "What are they doing?"

"They're doing the Shag." Bella looked at Edward with amusement. "Don't tell me you've never Shagged?"

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Well, I thought I had…" His voice trailed off. "This is definitely more vertical than I remember." He turned his head sideways and watched for a few seconds more. "…with a lot more kicking," he concluded.

He took a drink from his beer and tried not to smile.

Bella looked at him and tapped her lips with her forefinger.

_Sigh, he's just too cute. _

_This is exactly why you've been skulking around the dark halls of your own house, Bella. _

_You. Cannot. Be trusted._

Before she could stop herself, Bella blurted out, "Would you like a lesson?"

Edward's face broke into a huge, teeth busting smile and Bella felt a sudden urge to check and see if her pants had caught fire.

_Oh, the teeth._

"Enough with the panty melting smiles, Cullen. I'm talking about teaching you how to dance. Are you interested or not?"

"Depends," he replied. "Who taught you?"

"Alice, of course. She was a junior Shagging champion in high school."

"Really? Our little Alice, a champion Shagger…and Alice giving you Shagging lessons. The mind boggles!" Edward leaned a little closer to Bella and whispered, "Does Jasper know?"

"Who do you think taught him?" she whispered back.

They were face-to-face, noses almost touching. Edward took advantage of the moment to quietly breathe in her scent. He struggled to keep in the words that were running through his mind, words he knew she wasn't ready to hear, from escaping his mouth.

_._

Instead, he rested his chin on his hand and peered into her eyes. He had never thought brown eyes could be so expressive, but Bella's brown eyes seemed to speak volumes and he was mesmerized.

"I'm not so sure about this dance. How do you feel about Mambo?" he quipped.

Bella mimicked his pose and leaned in with a smirk. "Sorry, Ed. I don't Mambo before the third date," she parried, drawing out the 'M' in Mambo.

_GUH. Horizontal Mambo._

Bella didn't want to admit that she was really enjoying this moment with Edward. No one appreciated her torrent of one-liners the way he seemed to, and looking into his eyes was a kind of exquisite torture. But Bella wasn't in the mood for her own honesty. She wanted to ignore her inner voice as long as possible. It was the same voice that was telling her to stay and to run at the same time.

"Aw, Bella, don't be like that. As a matter of fact, I am a very good dancer. You just might enjoy a little Mambo with me," he asserted.

She felt her heart flutter.

"Forget your fancy Latin dances, Cullen. We're going to do an old fashioned Shag and you're gonna love it." Bella smiled as she stood and held out her hand to Edward.

"Oh, Bella, you have no idea what those words do to me," he whispered as he guided her to the small dance floor, one hand holding hers and the other on the small of her back.

Bella swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry, and said a quiet thanks for having had the luck to wear flats that day. With her knees knocking as they were, there was no way she could have balanced on heels. When they reached an opening in the crowd Bella turned to face Edward. Careful not to look him directly in the eye, she began to show him the rudimentary dance steps.

Edward had been telling the truth when he said he was a good dancer. He was a confident and strong lead, and before long they were moving easily together. Bella felt herself relax and start to enjoy being spun around the floor.

_This isn't so bad, _she thought. _I can be this close to him without going overboard. Maybe we can be friends._

Then, the more practical side of her inner voice kicked in and admonished her.

_Who do you think you're kidding? You can't even look him in the eye! This is not the man for you. There is no man for you. Snap out of it!_

_Great. My inner voice thinks it's Cher from the movie Moonstruck._

After several songs, Bella was about to suggest taking a break, when a slow song started to play. She turned to leave the dance floor, but Edward held her hand and pulled her back.

"Just one more, Bella, please?" he asked.

Bella was ready to say no when the corners of his mouth turned down and he began to pout.

_Oh dear, please, not the pout._

"OK," she sighed, taking his other hand.

Hearing her sigh he joked, "Try not to overwhelm me with your enthusiasm."

He pulled her closely, putting one hand on her hip and bringing their clasped hands to his chest. Bella stared into his eyes for a long minute before resting her cheek over his heart and melting against him.

Edward couldn't believe his luck. Instead of fighting him, Bella sank into his embrace. He focused on relaxing his body, swaying them gently to the music. Slowly, he slid his hand from her waist to caress her back. He hummed along with the song, as if he hadn't a care in the world. Meanwhile, his stomach was clenched with nerves. He was so afraid that a false move could send her running.

"You know, Bella I'm a nice guy. I would be nice to you. I just want a chance to show you." He leaned in and nuzzled her neck with his nose, leaving little kisses behind.

The sensation of Edward's skin against hers was sending jolts of electricity through Bella's body. She could feel the heat building between them. She closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the emotion coursing through her. She didn't understand how the touch of a man she barely knew could trigger such intense feeling.

_I could stand like this forever, _she thought.

A soft sigh escaped from the back of her throat. Edward took the sound as a sign of encouragement. He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. Once, twice, and the third time he captured her upper lip in his and began to kiss her in earnest.

Bella pulled away and rested her forehead on his chest. When she spoke her voice was rough, as if it caused her pain.

"You don't understand…this wouldn't…I wouldn't be good for you," she whispered.

"Don't you think that's something I should be able to decide for myself?" he questioned, softly. After a beat he added, "You know, these extreme mood swings could give a guy motion sickness."

He felt Bella's body stiffen at his words and he immediately regretted them.

_Dumb ass_, he chastised himself.

Bella gently pushed away from him and walked back to their table. From the dance floor Edward watched her gather her things and lean in to speak with Emmett. He nodded and started to rise. Quickly, Edward made his way toward them.

"Let me walk you home, Bella," he entreated.

"That's alright," she replied. "Emmett's going to take me."

"Bella," he sighed. "There's no need to trouble Emmett when we're going to the same place."

"I really don't want to disrupt your evening," she said politely.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He took a moment to calm himself and then turned and gave Bella a small smile.

"Bella, I would love to see you home. It's the least I can do as a neighbor and a friend."

Bella stood there with her mouth slightly pursed. After a moment she sighed and nodded. They said their goodbyes and he helped her with her coat. He gestured for her to take the lead and followed her to the exit.

They walked in silence back to the brownstone. Edward kept his hands in his pockets and focused on the ground in front of him instead of Bella's profile, which was where he really wanted to look. For her part, Bella stayed as far away from Edward as the sidewalk would allow.

It had rained while they were inside the bar and the air was cloying and heavy with humidity. The only sounds were the splashing tires of cars passing on the street.

He searched his brain to find some topic with which to break the silence, but came up with nothing more interesting than the weather. He knew he had to find some way to reconnect with her before she made it into her apartment. He couldn't bear the thought of weeks without seeing her again. If he could make her see that they could at least be friends, he would take it. He would take whatever part of herself she could give.

As they approached their building, Edward held out his hand to her.

"Sit with me for a bit?" he asked.

Bella looked warily at his hand. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything he cut her off.

"I won't bite, promise."

Bella gave him a weary smile and nodded.

They sat on the top step, where it was dry, leaned back on their hands, and looked into the night sky.

"I Googled you, you know." He bumped her shoulder with his.

"You did? Were you bored?" she mocked.

"Well, I've had some time on my hands…" He raised his eyebrows.

She ignored his allusion and asked, "So what did you find out?"

"You're kind of brilliant, aren't you, Doctor Swan?"

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I'm a genius, alright."

"I read your dissertation. It was fascinating and very well written."

"I guess that means something coming from the President's speech writer. Thank you."

"I sent it to Bill Whately."

"Bill Whately, the Secretary of Education?"

"The same. Do you know what he said to me?"

"That he's already read it?" She smiled.

"Yeah, how did you know that?" He looked surprised.

"Oh, I may have spoken to him about it a time or two." She bit her lip and looked abashed.

"Your mind is impressive."

"Nah, it's just what I'm interested in," she scoffed.

"I have to disagree. I spend my time with smart people and they all seem to think that you're something special, Bella." He spoke in hushed tones, not wanted to scare her off.

Bella's eyes flitted around, looking anywhere but at Edward.

"Your friends think you're wonderful too. Do you realize how much they love and respect you?"

She nodded. "I love them too."

"Yet, we sit here at odds because you have doubts about yourself. If anyone should have doubts it should be me. I don't think I'm nearly good enough for you, Bella."

She stared at him with wide eyes. It took every bit of restraint he had not to reach out and touch her face.

"It's true," he affirmed. "I almost didn't ask you out because I was intimidated. But I wanted you so much that I couldn't resist trying to get closer to you."

To emphasize his point, Edward slipped his hand over hers.

"Don't hide from me anymore. I miss you too much and I feel terrible thinking about you going out of your way to avoid me," he whispered.

Bella started to protest that she hadn't been avoiding him, but when Edward raised his eyebrows her mouth snapped shut.

They sat in silence for a while longer. Edward was thrilled that she hadn't run into the house. He tried to calm his mind and be satisfied with this small victory.

"You're wrong, you know. In my heart I am a spiteful and vindictive person."

Edward stayed perfectly still.

"You don't know. You don't know what I've done. It's my fault…it's my fault he's dead."

Edward closed his eyes and exhaled.

_Here it comes, _he thought.

"I hated him but I couldn't come up with the courage to leave."

_I loved him. I wanted him to love me, _she repeated in her mind.

"I always thought that if I could make our lives better we would be able to stop fighting and he could love me the way I wanted him to. But he never did. Finally, I just wanted him to go away. I imagined that if he died I wouldn't have to face it. The decision would be lifted from me. I mean, I didn't spend my days plotting his death, but I wanted him gone all the same."

Bella covered her face with her hands, and he could see the silent tears dripping from between her fingers.

"The day he left, I told him…everything. I shouted that I wished he was dead, that he had never been born, that our son would never know what a horrible father and husband he was. I screamed and cried and threw him out," she sobbed.

Edward reached into his pocket and gave her the handkerchief he kept there. She wiped her tears and looked him in the eyes.

"Ben saw and heard it all. That's what a great mother I am. I exposed my son to the worst kind of behavior, hateful, angry, spite."

She closed her eyes, remembering that horrible day. Bella saw herself following Felix into their bedroom where he was throwing clothes into a suitcase.

"_You selfish, son-of-a-bitch!" she screamed. "Who do you think you are?" _

_She grabbed his clothes from the bag and threw them out the bedroom door. Then she grabbed whatever she could get her hands on and threw it at Felix until he disappeared in a flurry of clothing, books and knick knacks. Finally, he gave up and ran out of the room. She was hot on his heels. _

"_I hate you! I hate you! How could you? How could you do this?" she wailed and ran at him pummeling him with her fists. _

_Felix pushed her away and she fell to her knees, hoarse cries heaving from her chest. _

"Twelve hours later the state police were on my doorstep telling me that my husband had been hit by a drunk driver and rushed to the hospital."

"Oh, Bella," Edward said and reached up to hold her.

"No." She pushed him away. "You have to hear it all."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"He was on life support for almost 9 months. His doctor urged me to discontinue it right away since there was no sign of brain activity. But I couldn't. I felt so guilty, so responsible. His parents refused to believe he was gone. They begged me to keep the machines going.

"Eventually, I had to face the fact that there was nothing I could do to fix it. I had to accept that I was torturing his body to assuage my own pain. I decided to let him go."

Bella's voice trailed off and she sat quietly, contemplating the afternoon Felix died.

_Bella looked around the tiny waiting room at the faces of her family members. Jasper and Alice sat, arms around each other, with Ben in their laps. Emmett and Charlie talked quietly in the corner, looking up every so often to check her mood. Renee and Phil walked in with drinks for everyone and snacks for their grandson. _

_Bella had never seen her mother look so sad and lost. Renee was usually so sure of herself. Bella supposed that Renee's face was a mirror of her own. _

_Of course Felix's parents were there, each clutching a rosary, praying for their son. Bella wondered if they had any prayers for her. _

_Bella stood when the doctor and the social worker entered. She had already discussed her decision with them, but they went over each piece of documentation to ensure she understood what she was about to do. Bella signed the papers while Felix's mother and father reproached her with their eyes. They were angry and hurt and Bella was the most convenient target for their rage. _

_Renee tried to block Bella's view of them with her body, urging Bella to eat something. She couldn't eat, though. She couldn't do a thing for herself until it was over._

"I lifted Ben onto Felix's bed so he could say goodbye. Watching Ben next to his father…" Bella's voice broke. "For the first time I could really see how wasted his body was, but it didn't make me feel any better about my decision. Alice and Jasper took Ben out. Thank God they were there. I couldn't have managed his grief …without them."

_Bella watched as the doctor switched off the machines. It was so quiet, yet she could still hear the sounds of the hospital outside and it was galling to her that life was going on all around while they were just standing there, waiting for him to die._

Bella looked up at Edward, her face glazed with tears. For a moment her mouth worked but no sound escaped. He knew there was nothing he could say to make it better. She let him put his arm around her. He kissed her temple and waited.

_She watched Renee leave and. Felix's father too. A priest arrived to administer the last rites, and Felix' mother went to the chapel with him to pray. There was no room for a chair so Charlie and Em stood on either side of her and held Bella up. _

"_It's like watching a toy wind down," she muttered, absently._

_His breathing slowed and the beeps on the heart monitor spread out, and then it was over. Ragged sobs filled the room. Abstractly, Bella wondered who was crying so loudly. When her knees gave way Emmett picked her up and carried her from the room._

"I did that!" she shouted. "I did that, Edward!"

When Bella's sobs became wracking cries, Edward pulled her onto his lap and enveloped her with his body. If he thought he was heartbroken before, it was nothing compared to the way he felt now. The beautiful woman in his arms was bereft over something entirely out of her control.

He finally understood.

She was shattered.

Worse, she had been damaged by a man who was supposed to be everything to her, supposed to love and care for her. It was no wonder that she thought so little of herself, but to think she was responsible for Felix's death was outrageous and senseless in Edward's mind. A helpless fury was building in his chest and as he knew there was nowhere to direct it, he became more upset. He felt his own tears falling heavily onto his face. He clutched Bella closer and rocked her back and forth.

When her tears had subsided to shuddering breaths and hiccoughs, Edward pushed his nose through her hair and whispered in her ear, "Let me take you inside."

She nodded and he helped her rise. With an arm around her, Edward led Bella into the building. She handed him the keys and he let them in to the apartment. As she shuffled up the stairs he stopped in the kitchen for water and poked around looking for painkillers. Satisfied that he had found something to ease her inevitable headache, he made his way to her room. He found Bella curled up in the middle of her bed, like a cat, fast asleep.

Edward eased off her shoes and put a pillow under her head. Taking a blanket from the end of her bed, he covered her and tucked the blanked around her. He stood by the bed feeling helpless but not knowing any other way to help. Leaving the water and the medicine, he turned and went home.

Lying in his own bed, unable to sleep, he mulled over the evening's revelations. To say he had been shocked by Bella's admission would have been an understatement. He was flabbergasted by the fortitude it must have taken for her to say all of that to him. He was awed by her strength and overwhelmed by her sense of responsibility for the entire mess.

Now he understood why her friends were so fiercely loyal. They had loved her through the worst time of her life. He found himself falling in love with them too. He was so grateful that they had been there to take care of his girl.

_My girl, _he mused to himself.

The shifting of another body in her bed woke Bella sometime in the late morning. She opened her eyes only to feel a searing pain when the light hit them. Gasping, she threw an arm over her face to block out the morning sun.

"Alice," she moaned. "Please kill me now."

Alice looked up from her laptop, where she had been answering emails, and rolled her eyes.

"Water and Advil on the nightstand, drunky."

"Seriously, Alice do you ever get a hangover? I wasn't even drunk last night and I feel like crap."

"Tequila is not your friend, Bella. When are you going to learn that?"

"Well you're right about that. I think it was the tequila that made me spill my guts to Edward Cullen last night."

"Oh?" Alice questioned. "Are we talking barf or words?"

"If only it had been barf. I would have gladly puked on his shoes instead of the word vomit I spewed."

"Well?"

"I told him everything…then I cried."

"Ugly cry?"

"Very, very, very, ugly cry."

"And?"

"He gave me his hanky, then he held me, and I let him."

"He carries a handkerchief?" Alice said with surprise.

"He does," Bella affirmed. "If I'd had my wits about me I would have jumped him on the spot."

Bella had an affinity for men who carried handkerchiefs. It played into her idea of a man being prepared for any eventuality.

"But you didn't."

"No, I cried and screamed on the front stoop until my head ached and I was exhausted. He led me into the house and I went to sleep."

"Do you regret it?"

"No. I'm glad I got it off my chest, actually. Now, maybe he'll leave me alone."

"Oh, Bella you're not fooling me. I know that's not what you want," Alice gently chided. "Why don't you just give in for once? You're allowed to have what you want, you know?"

Bella ignored her and rolled to a sitting position. She took the painkiller and drank the water and headed toward her bathroom for a shower.

"Why are you here, anyway? Where's Jasper?" she shouted from the bathroom.

"There is some crisis at work and he had to go in. Edward went too. I thought I would come by and see my Benny. Where is he, by the way?"

"Camping with Charlie. I haven't seen him all weekend. I expect them to turn up any minute now loaded down with fish and covered in mosquito bites. I hope they manage to find a shower before they do."

"Ew." Alice wrinkled her nose.

From downstairs Alice heard the sound of the doorbell.

"Bella," she called out. "Someone's at the door. I'll get it."

Alice opened to the door to a delivery man carrying a large cooler with the words "Restaurant on the Run" on the side. She carried the cooler into the kitchen as Bella was making her way downstairs, still drying her wet hair with a towel.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"A delivery, for you."

Bella looked at her, quizzically, and unzipped the bag. Inside was a monogrammed note card with the letters E-C-A on the front.

With shaking hands Bella unfolded the card and together they read.

__

***

Dear Bella,

I wanted to take you to brunch this morning and ask you to spend the day with me,

but world events conspired against us and so I must settle for seeing your smile

in my mind's eye.

Please enjoy this breakfast. I'm having the same thing delivered to my office

so we can (sort of) eat together.

I beg you not to be embarrassed about revealing yourself last night. I was blown

away by your courage and grace. It only makes me want to know more about you.

I hope that I will see you soon. In the meantime, I leave you to consider these words:

So since I'm still here livin',

I guess I will live on.

I could've died for love--

But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,

And you may see me cry--

I'll be dogged, sweet baby,

If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

~Langston Hughes

Fondly Yours,

Edward

_***_

Alice and Bella stared at each other, mouths agape, for a heartbeat, before squeals of delight filled the air. Ever the romantic, Alice was thrilled by this turn of events and did a little happy dance in time with her cheering.

Still holding the note card, Bella sat down at the table and stared in wonder at the parcel of food. She had been certain that after last night things would be finished with Edward.

_How could he still be interested? Maybe I should have actually thrown up on him, _Bella pondered_._

She smiled to herself, imagining Edward trying to maintain his calm façade with soiled shoes.

"Alice," she called out as she moved toward the cooler. "See if there is a thermos of Bloody Mary's in there. It's really the only way to start brunch, right?"

* * *

**_If you haven't read any of the stories by 107 year old virgin, you need to get right on that! She and I are collaborating on some specialty t-shirts with quotes from her stories to be sold for the Fandom Gives Back fundraiser later this year. More on that in days to come._**


	7. Chapter 6

**Many thanks to PTB betas HEAR and Momma Bear for their help whipping this chapter into shape. I actually threw a little West Wing back into the story because, it turns out, it becomes relevant in an upcoming chapter-I had no idea. **

**Also thanks to Wendy for her prereading advice!**

**If you make it to the end you will read my first lime and I gotta tell you I'm pretty nervous. Sometimes I think I would be more comfortable doing the things I've written about, in front of you then asking you to read what I wrote. To be fair, I'm guessing we'd all rather stick our tongues down Edward Cullen's throat no matter the circumstance. Annoying sexual peccadilloes aside, my friend 107yroldvirgin says it is good and I'm letting myself believe her. But let me know what you think. **

**I make no claims on the Twilight Saga, The West Wing or The Velveteen Rabbit. **

* * *

Chapter 6

It wasn't Bella Swan's style to be confrontational, even if it was for something good. After cowering in her home for three weeks, it wasn't going to be easy for her to change her habits and she wasn't really sure that she wanted to.

Despite the very good news that Bella's erratic behavior hadn't sent Edward screaming from the building, it didn't change the essential fact that she thought it was a bad idea for them to be romantically involved.

_Romantically involved. _She rolled her eyes at the thought. _I even sound like a crabby, old bitch in my head._

Bella snorted and rolled out of bed.

She had no idea how she was going to handle herself now that she had broken the seal on her privacy. Very few people knew what went on inside her head. Bella believed that very few would even be interested in what went on in the complicated maze of her mind. Alice knew and possibly Emmett, but that was about it. She was too afraid that people would find her abnormal.

"Gah!" she shouted in frustration.

On one hand she was thrilled by the breakfast and his heartfelt note, on the other she was terrified at the thought of starting something with him and having it fail. Just the thought of letting him down made her stomach clench with anxiety.

Still, there was something that made her want to overcome those objections and just be.

Bella decided to text him, figuring texts were as close to non confrontational as you could get. Plus, there would be no awkward silences and absolutely no visible blushing.

**Bella: **Breakfast was great. t/y

She was rewarded with an immediate response.

**Edward: **Wish I could have shared it with you. y/w

**Bella: **Dinner?

**Edward: **Working late, but I'd like to see you.

**Bella:** I'll leave the light on.

**Edward: **Can't wait.

Bella hugged her knees to her chest and allowed a little bubble of hope to form there.

Edward sat in his office with a silly grin on his face. There was a chance that Bella had crawled back into her cave this morning and wouldn't have been receptive to his overture. He was grateful and a little giddy that it hadn't happened and now she had invited him to stop by. He was jolted from his reverie when Kathy stuck her head in his office.

"Donna called. They're meeting in Josh's office in five," she alerted him.

"Thanks. Be right there."

Edward closed his phone and grabbed his papers for the meeting. The other men were already assembled when he entered Josh's office. He could still feel the grin on his face as he nodded his greeting. Josh immediately noticed the difference in Edward's demeanor, and never one to miss an opportunity to tease, he put him on the spot.

"Edward! Good night?" he asked.

Edward composed his face and cleared his throat. Good wasn't the word he would have chosen to describe his evening- emotional, shocking, breathtaking, life-altering, maybe. But good? No, not good. This morning, however, was an entirely different story. There was plenty of good to go around today, but nothing Josh Lyman needed to know about.

"Yeah, a good night. Had some beers at Black's with Jasper and his wife." Edward shrugged and found a place against the wall.

"Black's," Josh pretended to contemplate. "Isn't that Bella's favorite hangout?"

"Is it?" Edward questioned.

Josh opened his mouth to say more, but the last team member walked in and the meeting began. Edward was relieved. The last thing he was going to do was discuss Bella with Josh Lyman.

****

Hours later, after Ben and Charlie had straggled in stinking like old fish and looking like _Dawn of the Dead_ extras, Bella scrubbed Ben from head-to-toe in the bathtub. He chattered, endlessly, about his weekend with his grandfather, describing the special fly-tying technique Charlie had taught him, the native flora they had seen, the beaver dam they had camped near and the ticked off beaver they had encountered the next morning. Thankfully, they had stopped by Billy's on the way home and put most of their catch into his deep freeze. There was only so much striped bass one family could eat and the season was only midway through.

After the bath, Ben stood between his mother's knees as she dried his hair with a towel. He was finally winding down and she was happy to spend a few quiet moments with him in the comfort of the steam filled room.

"So, you had a good weekend?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was awesome," he replied with a little fist pump.

"Did you have a good weekend?" He looked shyly into her eyes as if he was worried about her.

Bella laughed a little. He was always so intuitive when it came to his mother's emotions and this night was no exception. Bella's eyes were tired, but there were two bright spots of color on her cheeks.

"Are you worried about me, Benny?"

"I just miss you."

"Oh, sweetheart, I've been missing you." She grabbed him in her arms and gave him a warm hug. "I always miss you when you're not here, but I don't mind if you go and do fun things too."

Bella straightened up the bathroom and they walked together to Ben's room. She grabbed his pajamas and helped him dress. When he was tucked in, they read a story together and Bella curled up beside him to snuggle as he fell asleep.

"Mom," he whispered in the darkness.

"Hmm?"

"Can we do something together next weekend?"

"Mmhmm," she mumbled. "I can't wait. We'll talk about it in the morning. Go to sleep now, sweet boy."

Something startled Bella awake. She lay in the cool darkness of Ben's room and tried to figure out what it was. She checked that Ben was still sleeping and rolled out of his bed where she had mistakenly fallen asleep. Groaning a bit due to her cramped sleeping position, she put her hands on her back and stretched. She was still bending backwards when she heard the sound again.

Someone was knocking at the door.

Suddenly Bella's mind flashed back to her texts with Edward. Uttering a quiet curse, she ran lightly down the stairs, and into the living room. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, and then peered through the peephole, just in case. Bella was surprised to find no one there. She eased the door open and peeked around the edge catching a glimpse of Edward as he disappeared into his apartment.

"Edward," she called in a stage whisper.

She was rewarded by the sight of his tousled head popping back out, a grin on his face.

She smiled back and stepped out into the hall.

"Hi," she greeted, shyly.

He walked toward her, a white paper bag in his hand. Their eyes locked and for a heartbeat they gazed at each other.

"Hi," he said, breaking the spell. "I figured you were asleep so I was going to leave you a note." He held up the bag. "I brought ice cream."

"I fell asleep in Ben's room. Sorry about that. Do you want to come in?" She angled her head toward the door.

"Don't you want to go back to sleep?"

Bella looked at her watch. It was only 9:30 and far too early for her to turn in, though the thought of going to bed with Edward briefly crossed her mind, making her blush. She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the floor.

Edward tilted his head and looked at her, wondering what had caused the blush.

"It's too early for bed," she mumbled and reddened further.

_Well, that answers my question_, he thought, biting back a laugh.

"Then let's have some ice cream," he replied, ushering her through the door.

He followed her to the kitchen and got out the spoons while she reached for the bowls. They sat down at Bella's long kitchen table and soon the only sounds were spoons clanking against porcelain.

"Mmmmm," Bella moaned when the ice cream hit her tongue.

Edward's head snapped up at the sound and he looked at her, wide-eyed.

_That was a sexy noise…a sex noise._

When Bella noticed that he had stopped eating, she looked up and froze with her mouth half full.

"What?" she asked, waving her spoon towards him.

_Oh, your sexy eating noises make me want to jump you._

"Nothing, nothing at all." He looked down at the bowl and resumed eating. "So, chocolate, you really like it?"

""Mmm. Yeah, chocolate is my favo-" Bella stopped when she saw Edward hiding a smile. "Oh, don't do that," she admonished.

"What?"

"Don't bring me chocolate ice cream and then tease me about it." She got up from the table and put her dish in the sink. "Haven't I humiliated myself enough?"

Bella leaned against the sink with her arms crossed, her back to Edward and her chin pressed into her chest.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. _Edward thought to himself.

Making his way around the counter, he prepared to beg her forgiveness. "Bella, I-"

He stopped short when he saw her grinning at him. She playfully poked a finger into his chest, tapping out a staccato beat in time with her words.

"Don't-mess-with-my-chocolate-Cullen. I take that shit seriously!" She waved her arms around and crossed them again, but the smile stayed on her face and he knew she was kidding.

"What do you expect from me? You come to the door looking all warm and sleep rumpled and proceed to make the sexiest, little moans over a bowl of ice cream. A man can only take so much, Bella." He had worked his way over to stand by her side and leaned in speaking softly.

"You haven't humiliated yourself. I think you're very brave."

Bella felt an unfamiliar twinge in her chest in response to his words. She was embarrassed by the attention and by the fact that he now knew so much of what she tried to keep private. She wondered if she could trust him, if she could let herself trust him.

She had trusted Felix with everything, and he had let her down, badly. Then she had let him down. There was a big part of her that knew her heartache was a result of poor decision making during a youthful and impulsive time in her life. However, a smaller, darker, and much more consuming part of her was still furious that Felix refused to be the husband she needed, the husband she deserved. This was the raw, gnawing anger that kept her from moving on from the hurt.

It was also the part of her that made her feel small, and unworthy. It was a little _who do you think you're kidding _voice in the back of her head. It was that voice that was constantly shouting down any of the warm, satisfying feelings she experienced when she was with Edward.

Bella ignored the annoying voice and showed him her signature eye roll.

"Oh yeah, that's me, Brave Bella."

"Oh please roll your eyes again," he joked and reached out for her waist. "You have no idea how sarcasm turns me on."

"You idiot," she teased. "It's only ten o'clock. You want to watch TV?"

"Can I sit next to you and hold your hand?" he asked.

Bella looked up at the ceiling and pretended to think it over.

"OK," she said slowly, and pointed a finger at him, "but no funny business."

"Bella I can assure you that when we finally get down to business, it won't be funny."

Edward gave her a smoldering look that sent a thrill through her body. Suddenly, he bent down and grabbed her by the waist. Throwing her over his shoulder, he walked them into the living room as Bella shrieked.

"Shhh," he admonished. "Ben's asleep!" He shook his head sternly.

"Oh! I forgot. Sorry." She covered her mouth in embarrassment, until she remembered that it was her house and her child sleeping upstairs.

"Hey!" she cried and slapped his behind while he laughed quietly. He flipped her onto the sofa where she landed with a huff.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you, I sent a picture of the building to my mother when I moved in and she wants to fill the flower boxes for you. Would that be all right?"

"Well, I guess so, but why would she want to do that?"

"She's a landscape architect and she misses me so she wants to find a way to connect with my life here in DC."

"That is so sweet. I think I just got a toothache," Bella joked. "I should warn you, I pretty much kill everything I plant. That's why there's nothing in the boxes now."

Edward brushed off her concern by pointing out that his mother would probably provide gardeners to take care of the plants, and any other little thing he would allow.

Grabbing the TV remote, Bella curled up on the sofa next to Edward. As promised, he held open his hand for her to take. She paused for just a moment, staring at his palm before she tentatively reached out with her own hand.

He thought he felt her tremble as his fingers closed around hers so he whispered, "It's OK," and the trembling went away.

Edward continued to stop by, every few days, over the next few weeks. Most evenings it was late and they only spent a few minutes together, sharing details of their days over tea or a glass of wine.

Sometimes it was early enough for him to join Bella and Ben for dinner. On those nights, he sat with Ben at the long trestle table and looked over his notes while Ben worked on his homework and Bella prepared dinner. The first few times, Edward expected to feel intrusive and out of place with Ben there, but Bella welcomed him and he felt comfortable and relaxed. Inside Bella's home there were no mind games, no pretenses, and he was able to let go of the stressors of his high-pressure job.

Many nights he wasn't the only one stopping by for dinner, and he frequently found himself in the company of Bella's family and various friends from around town. He finally understood why Bella needed such a long kitchen table. She had a lot of friends and she was welcoming to them all.

Soft spoken and gentle, she attracted all the attention in the room. The women doted on her and the men were all half in love with her. Jasper and Emmett anticipated her every need. They also ran block for him on Bella's moodier days when she doubted herself and wanted to push him away.

At the end of each evening Bella walked him to the door where they lingered, trying to make the time last just a little longer. Finally, Edward would give her a gentle kiss and head across the hall. Truth be told, Edward wanted a lot more than the chaste kisses he placed on her mouth. Each one left him more worked up than the last, but he had to admit he felt downright chivalrous walking away without pressuring Bella for more.

He wanted more.

He wanted everything.

Since the night on the stoop it was all he could think about.

One Friday night, when the men were playing video games, Edward asked Emmett a question that had been on his mind since the beginning.

"So, Em, how come you and Bella never…you know…got together?" Edward cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"Gee, Cullen, for a writer you are surprisingly inarticulate," Emmett joked.

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I know," he muttered. "Everything about that woman makes me as giddy as a fucking school girl."

Emmett laughed out loud at Edward's predicament.

"Sucks for you," he said and clinked their beer bottles together.

"So," Edward continued, "you and Bella?"

"Well it's not that I wouldn't love to be in love with someone like Bella, but we would never be good together. I need someone a lot bossier and a lot less likely to put up with my shit." He paused.

"She's a real beauty and I love her, but sometimes she's so self-sacrificing I just want to shake her and make her stop. No, Bella and I are better as friends." Emmett was quiet as he contemplated that thought.

"She was my first kiss, though," he added with amusement.

Edward drank his beer slowly, outwardly calm, while he fought an internal urge to punch Emmett in his smug face.

Finally he joked, "Well as long as you didn't get past first base I guess we're on even ground."

"Dude!" Emmett exclaimed. "Don't tell me that's as far as you've taken it. What are you waiting for?"

"Shut up!" Edward hissed. "In case you've forgotten, I've only recently gotten her to stop avoiding me. I'm letting her set the pace."

Emmett emitted a low whistle. "That's awfully noble of you, Cullen, but I don't think that's going to get you anywhere. That girl is way too deeply into her head. You will never get any further if you let her set the pace."

"Exactly how is it you know so much about what's going on in Bella's head?" Edward was irritated by the criticism.

"It's always been that way between us, we have a weird bond, like twins. She knows me and I know her. We're just…aware of each other. The day we shared that kiss is a perfect example. I was moping in my room because I was going on my first date and I didn't want the girl to know I'd never been kissed."

He paused, remembering that day before describing it to Edward.

_Emmett was stalking restlessly around his room, the scowl on his face reflecting his inner turmoil. He was sure that Kate would know that he had no experience and would laugh at him when she found out. His father was away on business and he certainly couldn't ask his mother what to do!_

_Still sulking, he picked up a tennis ball and flopped onto his bed. He was angrily throwing it against the wall of his room when he heard a shuffling outside his door. _

"_Go away, Alice," he growled. _

"_It's not Alice, it's me," a small voice replied. _

_Bella peeked her head around the door jamb, timid and shy, as usual. _

_Emmett sighed. He hadn't meant to scare Bella. Truth was, she was as skittish as a kitten sometimes and it was annoying. _

"_What's up, Bell?" He tried to control the irritation in his voice._

"_You can kiss me."_

"_What?" He sat up quickly._

"_I'll kiss you and then you won't have to worry anymore."_

_Emmett looked at Bella with surprise._

"_How do you know about that? What did Alice say?" he barked. _

_Bella winced and then jutted out her chin._

"_Alice didn't tell me anything," she said, petulantly. "I already knew you were upset, and I guessed the rest."_

_Bella turned to stomp out of the room. Emmett grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her._

"_You'd do that for me?"_

_She nodded._

"_Why?"_

_Bella shrugged. "Because you need help."_

That was the essence of Bella's nature, Emmett thought. She always wanted to help, even if it cost her personally.

"Bell!" he shouted toward the kitchen.

She emerged with her lips pursed. "Yeah?"

He waved her over and opened his arms for her to sit in his lap. It wasn't necessary, but he couldn't resist annoying Edward just a little. When she was settled in his arms he questioned her.

"So, Bella why haven't you gone out with our young friend here?" He nodded toward Edward.

Bella played along, tapping her lip in contemplation. "Hmmm. Let's see. Because he hasn't asked?"

Edward opened his mouth in surprise.

_Fuck my life, _he thought.

They turned to look at him in anticipation. Emmett was nodding behind Bella's back with a huge smile on his face. Again, Edward wanted to punch it off.

Edward cleared his throat. "Bella, will you go out with me next weekend on…on a date?"

"Yes," she cried and launched herself into his arms.

Startled, he threw one arm around her and reached one arm out to steady himself. He caught a glimpse of Emmett as he walked away laughing, and noted that everyone else was studiously ignoring them. He looked back into Bella's lovely and amused eyes and frowned at her.

"I never know what to expect from you, Bella."

She leaned in and kissed him.

"That's the way I like it, Edward," she whispered against his lips.

Not one to let a good opportunity pass him by, Edward combed his fingers through her hair and kissed her back, softly at first and then more forcefully.

"Get a room," someone shouted before they got carried away. Laughing, they broke the kiss.

"Where do you want to go next weekend?"

"Surprise me," she said and hopped off his lap.

* * *

Bella's week started out hectic and she was rushed off her feet right through to Friday. As it was coming to the end of the regular school year, school districts and therapists were increasing their referrals in order to firm up their funding for the fall, and the staff was trying to work out summer schedules so they could take their vacations.

In a rare free moment, Bella had lunch at her desk, and let her mind wander.

_Maybe this would be a good year to take Ben to Florida. Renee has been begging for a visit since forever. We could stop by Disney World before seeing Felix's parents. Blergh. There's a couple I have no desire to spend time with._

_Still, they are Ben's grandparents. He might see some value in having a relationship with them one day, even if I don't._

Bella's musings were cut off by Angela ringing to tell her that Lauren Mallory was waiting to see her. Bella rushed out to greet her boss.

Dr. Lauren Mallory, the hospital's Chief of Staff stopped by to give Bella some excellent news. Not only had the board taken notice of the increased productivity in her department, the hospital was going to receive a major financial stipend to increase the field work her team did training doctors and staff members in other hospitals.

It was a very prestigious award from the Platt Endowment, which typically disbursed money to hospitals for pediatric medical equipment and emergency facilities. It was the first time that the Platt had awarded money to a program like Bella's, which addressed the developmental needs of children. There was no doubt about it, this award was going to catapult Bella and her team into the public eye in a way that hard work could never do.

According to Dr. Mallory, the foundation usually sponsored a luncheon at which the award was presented. Unable to suffer the embarrassment of a public presentation, Bella managed to convince Lauren that it was too costly to attend such an event when hospital costs were skyrocketing. However, she had agreed to a personal meeting with Esme Platt, the founder and sole benefactor of the foundation. A one-on-one meeting was something Bella could handle. She would give elderly Miss Platt a fabulous tour, eat a nice meal, and be back to work before the day was out.

As news of the award spread through the hospital, Bella became an object of interest to the other doctors and staff. The last thing that Bella ever wanted to be was someone's shiny new toy, but she accepted congratulations with grace and tolerated the simpering attentions of residents who wanted to align themselves with the latest success story. She had to draw the line when the hospital's Communications Director, Tanya Eleazar, approached her about making appearances on local television with the option of flying to New York to do _Good Morning America._ Even Bella knew that was just crazy talk, and the last thing Bella wanted to be was crazy.

Angela knew how she felt and had set up an elaborate system of friendly receptionists, nurses and volunteers who could alert her to the presence of the persistent woman anytime she approached the pediatrics floor.

Friday Tanya made her move and Bella was on her way out the door before the elevator opened on her floor.

Bella felt a little naughty, but she was also exhilarated. She had received an amazing recognition for her work and tonight she had a date with an amazing man.

_An amazing, hot man with soft, soft lips. Oh and hair that I could grab for days. _

Bella imagined herself grabbing that hair and pulling those lips closer and closer to her own, until…she noticed other Metro riders staring at her glazed over, pie-eyed expression. Clearing her throat she pursed her lips and tried to occupy herself by text messaging Alice.

**Bella: **OMG, I'm Giddy!

**Alice: **Squeee! Me too!

**Bella: **Where RU?

**Alice: **UR house. Hurry!

Bella looked up as the train slowed. She felt the thrill of anticipation when she saw that her stop was next. Grabbing her things she walked forward to wait by the door, tapping her foot impatiently. As soon as they opened at her stop she ran out of the station and into the open air. She felt like doing a little Mary Tyler-Moore twirl and throwing her hat into the air, she felt that good.

Alice was waiting on the stoop when she got home.

"Why didn't you go in?"

"I did go in, but then I came back out to watch for you and then I went in and came back out, again. Bella, what took you so long?" Alice was nearly hopping out of her skin.

"Jeez, sis take it down a notch, will you?" Bella hissed and looked over her shoulder. "Is he here?"

"No!" Alice hissed back. Grabbing Bella's arm, she dragged her into the house.

"Ben?" she questioned.

"Jasper's already picked him up. They're meeting Em at the batting cages."

Alice let her go when they reached the kitchen so that she could pour the wine that was sitting on the counter.

Handing a drink to Bella, they clinked glasses and drank deeply.

"Are you ready for this?" Alice asked. She wasn't talking about getting dressed.

"He's just so much sometimes with the hand holding and the nuzzling and the mesmerizing green eyes," Bella whined.

"I feel so overwhelmed that I can't think and honestly, I don't know who I am if I'm not thinking, analyzing and internalizing."

"That's a pretty high class problem, don't you think?"

She made a face and hopped in the shower. While she soaped up her hair, she thought about having Edward in her shower again.

_Thank goodness I'm getting another chance with him._

Bella was around 90 percent sure that she was ready to have sex with Edward.

_Who am I kidding? My body is 100 percent sure, it's my mind that won't give on the last ten. _

Bella's body wanted to kick the crap out of Bella's mind, but hadn't yet figured out how to accomplish this.

"So how do you want to look?" Alice struck a cocky little pose, with her hand on her hip.

Tonight she wanted to feel pretty and girly, to try it on for size and see how it fit. Lab coats and scrubs weren't traditionally considered seduction gear and Bella had spent a lot of time suppressing her natural beauty in order to be taken seriously at work. Until recently, she didn't have a reason to care, but Edward made her want to be sexy and pretty.

"Flirty, Alice. Tonight you have to make me feel like a real girl."

"OK, rabbit, but you know it's going to hurt and you might get some of your fur rubbed off," Alice teased.

"Only if I'm lucky, Al. Only if I'm lucky," Bella joked back.

"Sis, when I'm done with you, luck won't have anything to do with it."

When Alice was finished, Bella stood in front of the mirror turning this way and that, appreciating Alice's good taste. The Louboutin's were extremely high, but the ankle strap was so cute that it was totally worth the discomfort. Plus, they looked great paired with the ruffled skirt Alice had chosen. Bella was skeptical of the sleeveless top.

Bella stuck out her arms and examined herself.

"Sleeveless? Are you sure I can still pull this off?"

"For goodness sake. You're 36-years-old, not 56! Your arms and your legs are excellent. You're the total package. Stop doubting yourself."

"I love you, sis," Bella told her friend.

"Don't try and distract me from my admonishment with your profession of love," she mocked.

The sound of a knock at the door ended the discussion. The women grabbed hands and did a silent cheer of excitement before Bella grabbed her wrap and clutch. She took a deep cleansing breath to calm her nerves, kissed her friend on the cheek and stepped lightly down the stairs.

Edward was looking at his shoes when she opened the door. He had one hand in the pocket of his trousers and his mouth was pursed as if he was contemplating something serious. Bella took a moment to look him over.

_I'm checking out my hot date! _Her inner voice sounded as giddy as she felt.

He was perfection in a dark suit and a white dress shirt with the collar open.

"See something interesting down there?" she asked.

His head snapped up and the fire in his eyes was almost enough to cause Bella to take a step back.

Her inner voice drooled.

"Holy fuck," she muttered.

He wrinkled his brow and grinned. "What was that?"

Bella cleared her throat and looked away so she actually had some shot at forming a coherent sentence.

"I said, my shoe's stuck, but I…uh got it loose. Ready to go?" She began frantically looking for her evening bag only to find that she was already carrying it.

"Not quite."

He stepped in and pushed the door shut behind him. She looked up when she heard the door latch, and saw him stalking towards her. Forget stepping back, she felt like running from the predatory look in his eyes. Before she could move he pulled her toward him by her waist. Her heart was pumping hard, her breathing embarrassingly loud.

"You look edible," he spoke in a low voice that reverberated through her body. Bella was trying to stutter out a thank you when he captured her lips with his own and kissed her hard. She sighed into his mouth and parted her lips and he responded, flicking his tongue against the corners of her mouth. Bella felt her eyes roll back and her knees melt underneath her.

Despite the passion of the moment, she was unable to turn off her inner monologue. Ever present, it kept up a running commentary.

_Oh, God he's kissing me. His lips…so soft. Mmmm he tastes so good. How do I taste? Did I brush my teeth? Hot hands…on my back. Yes! Grab my neck! Oh, soft, raspy tongue…fucking…tongue! Does this mean he wants to skip dinner? Are my feet still touching the floor? I wonder if he likes my shoes…tongue…guh._

He almost let her go and pounded his chest when he felt her knees give way a little. Instead he pulled her tighter, flush with his hips. He knew she would be able to feel how aroused he was and he was glad. He wanted her to know.

_Don't grind on her, jackass, _he reminded himself.

She wrapped her mouth around his bottom lip and gently sucked and it was his turn to moan and go weak at the knees. He turned them so he could rest against the back of the sofa. He ran his hand over her hip and down her leg to grab her knee and pull it around his waist.

_A leg hitch! Wait until I tell Alice. Whoa! Is that…for me? Alice? _

"Alice!" she hissed.

"What about Alice?" he mumbled and flicked his tongue across her earlobe.

"Nnngh," Bella moaned. "Alice is still here."

Edward froze. Dropping Bella's leg he stood up and started smoothing her skirt, his eyes darting left and right.

"Where?" he hissed back.

Bella couldn't hold back her giggle. He looked like an errant toddler who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Relax. She's upstairs, and she doesn't care if we rip each other's clothes off. In fact, she's probably doing a little happy dance right now."

"No ripping! That skirt is Gucci," Alice called out and they both started laughing.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish.

"Sorry about the attack. You look beautiful, though. I couldn't help myself."

"That's OK. You can help yourself anytime." She winked.

_She fucking winked. _

"You really shouldn't have said that," he chuckled.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"I don't plan on scaring you, but I will be making your heart pound like it was a few minutes ago."

He stepped forward and offered his arm. "Shall we, Dr. Swan?"

She rolled her eyes and grasped his elbow. "Let's, Mr. Cullen."

"Goodnight, Alice." He called out.

Her peals of laughter wrapped around them as he closed the door.


	8. Chapter 7

**Wow! Who knew this would be so darned difficult? My hat's off to each and every writer who make it look so easy and find new ways to write smut, time after time! OMG did I just congratulate people for writing good smut? **

**Thank you so much, Brandy_D and SuburbanSun from PTB for your excellent beta skills. **

**Wendyaddictedtoff, you are very brave to be my first reader. Thank you for your tact and time!**

**HEAR you are much nicer than I deserve. Thank you for your skill, time and encouragment! **

**If you're a pirate ninja hooker (and who among us, isn't) I thank you for being awesome. If you're not a pirate ninja hooker, then I ask, what are you waiting for? Join 107 year old virgin's facebook page and srsly, join the fun.**

**Without further nonsense, ladies, I give you The Lemon.**

**

* * *

**

The air in the cab was cool, and Bella rubbed her hands up and down her arms as the goosebumps rose on her skin. Edward wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She looked down at her lap, suddenly shy, her earlier confidence fading. He noticed, and hated that she still didn't feel comfortable in his arms.

Tonight he was committed to a slow seduction, despite his blood pounding through his body, despite his earlier loss of control, and despite the want that had been building in him all these months. It was his suspicion that his want had turned to need, as his lust turned to love. He was surprised to find that what he thought was love a few months ago had turned to an abiding presence in every corner of his life. It comforted him and stirred him at the same time. He had never wanted to want another, but now that it had happened, he couldn't move on until he'd claimed every bit of her and given himself completely.

Sometimes he wondered why he had changed so much, why he allowed himself to consider a life with Bella, when so many other women had been completely unimportant. He looked down at her profile and realized that he really didn't care why his life had changed; he was just glad that it had.

"Did you have a good week?" he asked quietly.

"I had a great week." She smiled up at him. "You?"

"Good. I thought about you a lot."

"Oh?" She looked up at him through her lashes in an attempt to flirt. She felt a little flutter in her chest when their eyes met.

He pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss there.

"You're always on my mind."

_Oh, Cullen, you are so getting lucky tonight, _she thought.

"Wow, you sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself."

Edward chuckled and pointed out the window. "Since we're pulling up to the restaurant, I'm going to let that one lie, but I reserve the right to revisit the subject later."

He stepped out of the cab and offered her his hand. In a practiced move, she exited the cab legs first, and gave him an eyeful before taking his hand. It felt obvious and she was self-conscious, but it didn't escape her notice that his mouth popped open a little bit at the sight.

Bella simpered as she took his hand.

_Serves you right. A girl can only take so much!_

Al Tiramisu was a quaint and inviting restaurant in the heart of the city. The basement venue was small and intimate with bright murals and soothing yellow walls. Bella was charmed by the unassuming atmosphere and was impressed that Edward had chosen substance over form for their date.

An extremely solicitous hostess showed them to a small table. Bella tried to tell the woman off with a glare, but the hostess only had eyes for Edward, leaning in to show him the specials and brushing her well-padded chest against his arm. He was genial and gentlemanly until he spied the peevish look on Bella's face. Snapping the menu shut, he dismissed the woman with a frown.

"She was only doing her job," he explained.

Bella snorted. "If her job is to try and get into your pants, then I guess she's a real ace."

Edward was amused. It was actually the first time Bella had shown any sort of possessiveness over him.

_She has no idea that she already owns me body and soul._

"Silly girl. You are easily the most beautiful woman in the room, in any room, and I could not be less interested in the hostess or anyone else. You captivate me."

As he spoke, he leaned closer and closer until his arm was on the back of her chair and his mouth was brushing against her hair.

"And let me kneel, and let me pray to thee, And let me call Heaven's blessing on thine eyes, And let me breathe into the happy air, That doth enfold and touch thee all about," he whispered.

Her insides turned liquid.

Thankfully, she was able to maintain a shred of her poise by clenching her hands into fists under the table and letting her nails dig into her palms. It was crude but effective.

The collar of his shirt was open, revealing a smattering of hair at his throat. She wanted to run her fingers through it.

_He's so tight. Is that still a word? I am an idiot._

She felt her breathing accelerate as she watched.

_Does he know how much I love white dress shirts? Wonder if he'll roll up the sleeves for me later._

The waiter appeared and Bella realized that she had been so taken with Edward that she hadn't yet looked at the menu.

"Will you let me order for you?" he asked, with a small smile. He knew she had been checking him out.

Bella opened her mouth to protest. She didn't know whether to feel charmed or offended. No one had ordered for her since she was a child, but something in his expression made her acquiesce.

"You'd do that for me?"

"That, and so much more."

She merely nodded her head and stared in wonder at this man who wanted to order her dinner and give her …more.

_It's just dinner. He didn't offer to do your taxes!_ she snapped at herself.

_Felix never ordered for me_, she countered.

_True, but to be fair, Felix had difficulty ordering for himself anywhere more complicated than McDonald's._

_Seriously? You're going to bring fair and Felix into the same conversation?_

_Seriously? You want to analyze this while fuckhot with soft lips is sitting over there?_

Her attention was brought back to the table when she felt Edward's hand on her knee.

"Bella?" he questioned. "Where did you go?"

She smiled and put him off with a question. "What are you ordering?"

"I like when you smile," he said, ignoring her question. Of course, that made her smile harder and look down at her hands with embarrassment.

The waiter cleared his throat, and Edward turned his attention back to the man who had been patiently waiting for them to decide.

Bella was delighted when he ordered in Italian. Not surprisingly, it brought the owner, Luigi, to their table with a bottle of wine, and Bella got to listen to them converse in the beautiful language. She had little idea what they were saying, but the sound of Edward's voice wrapped around the musical tones was sensual, engaging and very alluring, and she had no doubt that he was fully aware of that fact.

"You're very capable," she stated, when Luigi had gone.

He wrinkled his brow, unsure if she was complimenting him or not.

"I find a man who can take care of things very attractive," she explained. "In my experience, they're hard to come by." She brought the wine glass to her lips to mask the embarrassment she felt, but she was glad to have revealed this little part of herself.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm used to being the competent one. I'm not sure I can change." She looked at him bleakly.

He was, as always, beguiled by her candor.

"Why are you worrying about that tonight?"

"Because that's what I do- I worry. I plan the outings. I make the reservations. I carry the money. Honestly, I'm a little at loose ends over here."

"Well I've already planned the outing, made the reservations and my pockets are full of cash. What I want you to do is relax, enjoy yourself …and maybe get a little drunk so I can have my wicked way with you later." As he spoke, he leaned in to leer at her and she couldn't help but laugh.

She blushed, but still smiled, coyly. "You're pretty sure of yourself."

He leaned forward and gave her a serious look.

"Bella, all I want to do is be with you and please you. I…I want to take care of you. I've had a lot of time to think about it and I _plan_ to do it well, if you'll let me."

Bella simply stared. No one had ever said anything like that to her and she was speechless.

"I…uh," she stammered.

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered, gently.

As the waiter approached with their first course, Bella released a deep, shuddering breath. As much as she wanted the night to be a success-and by success she meant ending up naked in his arms-Bella felt completely out of her element. The last few dates she had been on involved movies at the student union and late night study sessions that turned into sleepovers. She had certainly never received such prolonged and intense attention from a man: an attractive, intelligent, enticing, alluring, satisfying man.

The sweet enchantment continued as he fed her bites of buttery scallops with his fingers and served her sips of wine from his own glass. More than once, she had to hold back a little frisson of excitement as his fingers touched her lips.

Bella had never felt so decadent in all her life, and if not for the chair beneath her and his arm around her waist, she might have melted into the floor. As it was, she could hardly hold up her head and found herself clutching the edge of the table by her fingertips until her skin was white with exertion.

For his part, he was pleased, very pleased. Not only were his efforts having the desired effect on Bella, she was allowing him to entice her. The last thing he wanted to do was rush her into something for which she wasn't ready. The shower debacle, as he called it, wasn't so far in the past that he had forgotten the embarrassment she suffered. In his mind she deserved all the attention he could give her, but that didn't mean she was ready to accept it.

"So, something delicious for dessert?" he asked with a grin, but Bella had reached her limit.

"Edward, please. If your goal was to seduce me you can stop, mission accomplished, party's over, stick a fork in me, I'm done." She spoke without opening her eyes. "Please," she whimpered. "You've just got to… you've got to give me a minute or two."

Taking care not to look at him, she grabbed her clutch and made her way to the ladies' room on wobbly legs. When she finally reached the seclusion of the bathroom, Bella tossed her bag on the counter and slumped against the wall taking deep breaths. Finally calm, she turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes flicked over her hair, skin and makeup. It all looked the same. Bella stretched her neck and jutted out her chin. She pulled her lips back in a weird grimace and surveyed her teeth.

_I look exactly the same._

_Why does everything feel different?_

Bella couldn't understand how the experience could be so wholly different than any other. His hands were just hands. His words were just words. They weren't even his words. He had been cribbing from famous poets all along.

_His face, well the phrase, 'Jesus wept' comes to mind, but let's stick with the issue at hand._

She had to admit that, despite her assurances, things were not the same. This time it was different, and different meant giving up control. Giving up control meant trusting in Edward, a man she was still getting to know.

_But so far it's lovely. It's nice to have someone take care of me, and think of me, and consider me. Me!_

"Screw it. I'm in," she told her reflection and made for the door.

While she was gone, Edward took a moment to survey the small dining room. The other tables were close, and they had apparently caught the attention of the other diners. More than one man caught his eye and winked or subtly raised his glass in salute after Bella left the table. Sheepish but proud, Edward merely nodded back. Perhaps it was time to take things down a notch before they made a scene.

He rose when Bella came back to the table, holding out her chair for her to sit. She deliberately moved the chair a few inches away from his before taking a seat.

"There's something we should discuss."

When she leveled her gaze at him, he felt a flush of anticipation. Straightforward Bella was one of his favorites and a huge turn on, not that he needed one at this stage in their date. He couldn't wait to find out what she wanted to tell him.

"It's a bit presumptuous, but…we should talk about sex," she rushed out.

Edward couldn't hold back his smirk, so he covered his mouth by leaning into his fist and nodding his head.

_Please? _his mind begged.

"There are a couple of topics we should cover." Bella struggled to maintain her professional façade. It was the only way she was going to get through this conversation with her dignity intact.

"First of all, I am allergic to latex."

Edward's eyes widened in surprise. Bella allowed herself a little laugh.

"I know, right? Ridiculous, but true. I'm allergic to every kind of condom that can prevent the spread of disease. So…uh…I thought we should talk about that, and I also wanted you to know that I started the shot last month." She looked at him meaningfully, hoping he would jump into this conversation at some point and share in the embarrassment.

He wanted to appear businesslike and serious, but he was so charmed by her earnest intent that he couldn't hold back his smile. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"I'm sorry to hear about your allergy." He licked his lips and continued. "I'm glad you're on the shot. Did you do that for me?"

She nodded. "For us."

He leaned in. "That is so sexy, sweetheart. Thank you."

He kissed her cheek and she felt his lips burn her skin. She was sure that if she looked in a mirror, she could have pinpointed the exact spot they had touched her.

"It's been a while since I've been with anyone, but I get tested and so far, no problems," he continued.

"Me too, I was uh… tested after, I found out about Felix…" She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat not wanting to mention her husband's affair. "And I haven't been with anyone else."

Bella looked away and muttered, "Ever."

"Ever?" he questioned. She shook her head.

Edward didn't feel quite as suave as he had a minute ago. Somehow all the saliva in his mouth had dried, leaving his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He cleared his throat and tried to regain his sense of equilibrium.

"So you haven't been with him in…years?" He was incredulous. "And you've never been with anyone else?"

She shook her head.

"How? W…why? he stuttered.

_Oh boy, there's a question._

Bella started slowly, "Well, obviously, I didn't cheat in my marriage, and then he died. I guess, technically, I was mourning, but I was really just trying to get my life into some kind of order…and I have Ben…and there was the new job, the new house…just life, I guess."

She looked down at her fingertips curling the edge of the tablecloth.

"I don't think I'm the fling type, really. I think I just wanted something better than I had before. Maybe I was waiting."

_Don't say it. No, say it. OK…OK…don't Yes, yes, say it!_

"Maybe I was waiting for you."

She lifted her head and gave him a look through her lashes. She wanted to gauge his reaction before catching his eye.

He leaned over the table and pulled her in for a blistering kiss. He tried to put all the love and respect and desire he had into that kiss so she would have some idea of how he felt.

"Baby, I am going to make you feel so good."

He threw a stack of bills on the table and grabbed her hand. Pulling her to her feet, he practically growled.

"We have to leave, _now_."

The experience of Edward taking charge and dragging her out of the restaurant was thrilling, but the sight of him impatiently flagging a cab was darned near erotic.

_It seems my brain has finished quibbling with my body…._

He politely held the door for her to enter the car, but practically pushed her off the seat in his own rush to get inside. Once seated, he attacked her mouth with brief, hot kisses while his hands roamed, touching every place her skin was exposed.

She kept hissing his name, hoping he would wait until they were at least away from the cabbie's prying eyes, but his only response was to moan her name back and continue his barrage. When his hand cupped the inside of her thigh, she knew she had to stop him or be carried from the vehicle.

Suppressing her own moan, she said, "Stop!"

Bella felt the cab lurch. The driver had tapped the brakes.

Edward paused and looked at her with alarm.

"We only have four more blocks. You have to stop. I don't want to have sex in this cab. I have a very nice and very large bed at home." She was stern and emphasized her point with a little frown.

His heart skipped a beat at the change in her demeanor. _Hello, Mistress Bella. _

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the driver wince. It was possible he felt a little sorry for her companion.

Edward rested his forehead on her temple and tried to calm his breathing. It occurred to him that a drive of four blocks sounded a lot shorter than it felt.

After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled up in front of the brownstone. Edward threw a wad of cash at the cabbie and jumped from the cab ahead of his date. The cab driver, happy with the live sex show and the massive tip, tooted the horn as he drove away.

_Oh, that's not embarrassing, _Bella thought.

Edward was standing with his back to her, resting his hand on the pedestal at the bottom of the stairs. She felt a certain apprehension about approaching him.

_Is he sick, or has he finally come to his senses about me?_

"Edward," she asked tentatively. "Are you OK?"

He looked at her with a sheepish smile. "I'm fine. I just…needed a moment." Extending his hand, he pulled her to him and gave her a soft peck on the lips.

"I'm sorry for my enthusiasm." It was his turn to redden as he continued, "I was going to take you dancing, but I got carried away."

His eyes were soft and romantic.

_Gah! Powerless. Against. Eye. Kryptonite._

She closed her eyes. "I want you, too. I just didn't want it in the car," she murmured.

She felt his smile against her neck and smiled too. He gave her a quick kiss and turned toward the house.

"Shall we?" he asked, as he gestured toward the front door. She took his hand and they began to walk upstairs.

For just a second, the gravity of his actions weighed on his mind. It was the first time he had pursued a women for his bed in the hope of waking up to her the next morning.

_There's no going back from here. After tonight, she's yours._

She noticed his pause and looked back at him from a higher step. Any hesitation he felt was erased the moment he looked into her eyes. They sparkled with joy and there were lovely crinkles in the corners. He felt in that moment, he could have looked forever, and he knew he was ready.

Taking the key from her outstretched hand, he unlocked the apartment door. She could feel the electricity building between them. It was intoxicating, and it made her feel bold. She already knew that the deck was stacked in her favor, nevertheless, she wanted her share in the seduction.

As he turned, she grasped his belt and pulled him closer. He was surprised but allowed himself to be guided. He uttered a soft grunt as their hips met.

"Bella, what are you up to?" He caressed her arms and smiled down on her.

"I'm seducing you back." She began to brush her mouth against his. "That's OK, right?"

"Baby," he sighed, "as long as some part of your body is touching some part of mine, I'm completely fine with it."

_Still so damned smooth._

They kissed like teenagers in front of the open door, fingers twining in hair, bodies pressing into each other. He knew he didn't need to, but he couldn't help throwing one more bit of poetry out there, just to see how she would react.

Between kisses, he murmured, "Some have won a wild delight…By daring wilder sorrow…Could I gain thy love…to-night, I'd hazard death to-morrow."

Bella pulled back and looked at him. It wasn't so much a look of irritation on her face as it was one of disbelief.

"Damn," she muttered.

In a swift move, she pushed him against the wall and attacked the spot on his neck that had kept her attention all night.

_Mmmm…mmmm…mmmm…he tastes…mmmm._

Edward was whispering in her ear and the feeling of his breath tickling her skin was divine, and then she felt his tongue and her mind went blissfully blank.

He turned them and now her back was against the wall, her mouth warm under his, his fingers pulling at her blouse. He moaned when he finally found the skin at her waist.

"So soft," he murmured.

His hand found her knee and he pulled up her leg. This time he didn't resist the urge and flexed his hips against hers, pushing into the soft flesh between her legs.

"You've been driving me crazy for so long." He panted against her skin.

"Inside. Please," she begged.

He grabbed her other knee and wrapped both legs around him.

Without breaking their kiss, he carried her into the apartment and toward the back of the house. They made it as far as the kitchen island, where he sat her down and began to kiss her neck, paying close attention to the tender skin above her collarbone. His thumbs rode the hills of her ribcage and caressed the undersides of her breasts.

Bella waited a few seconds for him to understand what he was feeling. His hands stilled and he lifted his head.

"No bra?"

"I took a chance that you might like it." She shrugged one shoulder and smiled. He threw his head back and snarled before thrusting his face between her breasts and running his nose in the space between, then laying the flat of his tongue across her nipples. He sucked the hardened tips through the fabric, one and then the other.

Bella thought she would lose her mind from the sensation.

_Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Don't stop. Is saliva bad for silk? Never mind, I'm never washing this shirt anyway. Biting. Biting. Oh my god. Bitinnnnnnnnnnng._

Her head was thrown back, mouth open, hands clutching the back of his head. She thought maybe bursts of sound were coming from her mouth, but her blood was pumping too hard in her ears to hear properly.

Edward replaced his mouth with his hands and took a moment to watch. Her cheeks were aflame and she looked like a bad boy's fantasy.

_My girl is beautiful._

"Take this off," he breathed, tugging on her blouse. She crossed her arms and brought the hem over her head. Her bare breasts rose and fell in front of him and he paused to take her in. She was all creamy white skin and dark, rosy nipples with a hot flush that spread down from her neck to the valley between her breasts.

She tugged on his hair, pulling him back to her nipples and he obliged, stroking his tongue over the raised nubs over and over until her "Uh. Uh. Uh." noises started again.

"Edward," she moaned a sound that shot straight to his groin. "If you don't stop you're gonna make me come."

_Yes, please, _he thought.

_Let me._

The very idea of making her climax without touching her below the waist made him frenetic with desire. He would do everything in his power to make every second of this night the most passionate of her life. He had only been thinking about it since February, after all.

He intensified his efforts.

He knew she was close when he felt her stomach muscles flexing under his thumbs and her knees clench, hard against his hips.

"God, Bella…I need it. I want to see you…come," he whispered in a desperate voice, and she did. Curling forward with fistfuls of his hair, Bella's body rocked with her orgasm as his hands traced patterns on her back.

When her body stilled, she gave him a whispered thank you and began to feel around for her shirt. She looked uncomfortable and avoided his gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"That was embarrassing," she mumbled.

"That was amazing." He put a hand on either side of her face and looked her in the eye.

"_You_ are amazing and so sexy, Bella. I loved it, and now I'm going to take you upstairs and do it again."

He gave her a devilish grin and before she could react, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her from the counter. He swung her around and then placed her feet on the floor.

"C'mon." He pulled her by the hand toward the stairs.

Twirling her in front of him, he nudged her forward.

"You first. I want to see you walk in those heels, and maybe catch a peek under that skirt."

She was momentarily surprised by his request and stepped back nervously, one arm across her chest. But, never one to back away from a challenge, her confidence came to her rescue. Shooting him a saucy smile, she hooked a thumb under the waistband of her skirt and ran it back and forth.

"You want a peek under this skirt?"

She stepped back again. He grinned and nodded.

"Under here?" she asked again as she turned to take the steps one at a time, swaying her hips as suggestively as possible.

She reached back and pulled the zipper as she continued to walk up the stairs. About halfway up, she turned to face him and dropped the skirt, letting it pool around her ankles. Stepping carefully, she freed herself and flicked it toward him with her foot.

He never took his eyes from her body, letting the fabric fall to the floor. She was resplendent in black satin panties, her shoes and nothing else.

Jutting out one hip, she rested her hand there and looked at him with amusement. There was only so long that she could keep up the vamp persona without cracking a smile. Even standing in nothing but her underwear, Bella couldn't repress her playful side.

He was still frozen below her, a hand on each rail, lust burning in his eyes.

"What?" she challenged.

"Bella, you take my breath away. One minute you're shy and unsure of yourself and the next, it's stripteases and saucy come hither looks. I should throw you over my knee."

He took a tentative step forward.

"You wouldn't," she gasped.

He shrugged his shoulders and lunged for her. Squealing, she leapt around and ran up the stairs, barely escaping as his hand grazed her ankle. Running for her room, she slammed the door, only to have it stopped by his hands as he ran in behind.

She screamed in surprise when she heard his palms smack against the door. Without looking back, she ran into her large closet. Breathing heavily, she stared at the knob, waiting for it to turn. After a few long moments, she donned a short, silk robe and slowly stuck her head past the closet door. Her heart pounded riotously in her chest and her eyes were wide as she scanned the room for his hidden form.

To her surprise, he wasn't hiding. Edward was stretched out on her bed, the picture of ease, with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. She couldn't help herself. She took a long look at his nude body and her mouth began to water.

_Really? Mouthwatering. Hmmm. I had no idea that was an actual thing. _

"Hello? My eyes are up here," he joked, pointing to his face.

Bella stifled a grin but couldn't hold back the excitement in her eyes.

"You took off your clothes," she stated.

"You took off your shoes," he replied.

"I thought I might have to run."

"You thought you might have to run?" he repeated and shook his head in disbelief, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well I can say, without a doubt, that no one has ever said that to me on a date before."

"No?" she questioned as she moved closer to the bed. "Sounds like you've been on some boring dates."

Bella raised one knee and placed it on the bed. She gave him what she hoped was a smoldering look as she reached up with shaking hands to untie her robe. With the robe hanging slightly open, she leaned down, placed a hand on either side of his head, and began to leave little kisses on his lips. Edward waited, his palms itching with anticipation. He wanted to touch her so badly, but things were going so well, and he didn't want to blow it when he was so close to making love to his sweet girl.

_Am I doing this? OK. I'm doing this. Oh, his face is so sweet…so handsome._

The little pecks turned into long, languid kisses and Edward grasped the coverlet on either side of him. She brought her knee around to straddle his hips. Her body hovered above him and he resisted the urge to thrust his hips.

"Please," she whispered. "Touch me."

"Thank God," he breathed back.

Raising his hands from the bed, he ran them softly up the backs of her thighs, lightly stroking the skin there. Almost a tickle, Bella squirmed under his touch and leaned back into his grasp. The cool satin of her panties brushed against him and he hissed at the feel of the fabric in contrast to his overheated skin.

_His hands…like feathers…guuuuuuuuuuuuh...can't lift…my head…I can't…_

His hands felt strong as he grabbed her and pulled her tightly to him. It was electric and heat and unendurable pressure and she moaned and ground against him as her forehead rested on his shoulder.

His fingertips slipped between her legs and when he felt the intensity of her arousal, he groaned aloud.

He pushed back her waterfall of hair to look at her. Her face was a picture of ecstasy. Her eyes shut tight, her lips gently parted and the sounds of shuddering breaths, which pulsed in time with the movement of his hips. As chatty as she had been any other time, Bella made barely a sound as his hands trailed along the bumps of her spine and the smooth edge of the robe tickled her skin.

"Edward, please," she pleaded.

Placing a hand behind her head and one at her waist, he rolled them over so his body was over hers.

He placed feverish kisses on her face, down her neck, whispering her name as he drew his mouth down her body. Her head thrashed on the sheets above him and she moaned and sighed under his touch.

_Uhh…his mouth, so soft…warm. How does he know? Hmmmmm._

It had never been like this for Bella and she was overwhelmed with sensation and emotion. When his fingertips tugged lightly on the elastic of her panties, she felt a rush of passion course through her so strongly that her legs began to shake.

"Hurry," she begged.

He didn't want to hurry, but he didn't want to disappoint, either. Kneeling before her, he paused to savor her consuming heat.

Painstakingly, agonizingly, slowly he pressed into her body.

She cried out in surprise and pulled her knees back. It was his turn to tremble with anticipation as he slowly sunk into her willing body. His head was spinning and his mouth was dry, but it felt so right, so perfect and he was replete, awash in his love and lust. He grabbed at the covers to anchor himself against the commotion in his head.

When they were completely connected, he rested his forearms on either side of her head and laid his body across hers, their faces inches apart, his fingers splayed in her hair. His face was impassive but his eyes were ablaze with passion as they memorized every inch of her face. When he didn't move, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. She was transfixed, and for several long moments they simply stared. Finally, he began to move, slowly, timorously, tenderly. She could feel every inch of him as he withdrew and advanced in measured movements.

Slow and measured became faster and stronger. He could feel her nails on his shoulder and in his scalp, hear her quick pants and quiet moans in his ear and smell the scent of their sex as it filled the room. He felt her body clench and grasp his own as he began an unrelenting pace. He didn't want to wait any longer.

He wanted to finish it, to claim her as his own.

Her first climax had been borne of longtime deprivation. The second, and much more powerful one, started with a slow burn that built into an overwhelming fire that lay waste to her previously held notions of what desire and passion were. With each thrust of his hips, the tension in her stomach tightened and receded like waves on the shore. Feeling bold, she wrapped her legs around his hips and the change in angle brought him even deeper, filling her more fully.

"Oh!" she cried.

He groaned in response.

For a few more moments she teetered on the edge, her entire body tight, until an uncontrolled fluttering began where their bodies met. She couldn't hold back any longer, so she released the tension, falling, falling into the heat that raced through her. The bed disappeared from underneath her and she felt like she was floating as jolt after jolt shook her body.

With wild thrusts, Edward reached his own climax, the muscles of his face and neck taut, his breathing ragged.

_Oh, fuck, he's beautiful!_

"Bella!" he rasped as he emptied into her. His head dropped to her shoulder, and he lay gasping for breath. Underneath him, Bella's body went slack, her legs dropping to either side of his, but her arms tightened around his neck and he felt her breathing hitch.

He lifted his head when he felt something wet slide by his ear.

_A tear?_

Bella was staring at the ceiling as silent tears streamed from her eyes.

"Bella? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He sat up in a panic and began to look her over for something, anything that would indicate why she was crying.

"No. It's OK. I'm fine." She bit her lip and tried to stop, but it only made the tears come harder.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

She shook her head as she was overcome with weeping. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her into his chest. He was bewildered and searched his mind for anything he might have done to have caused her reaction.

Meanwhile, Bella was trying to get herself under control.

_Stop. Stop. Stop. He's going to think you didn't like it. Get a hold of yourself!_

In an act of sheer determination, she was able to get control over her sobs. Her body was accustomed to tears and wanted to roll into a full out hard cry, but she could feel his tension rising and she knew that it would be unfair to indulge in her little episode while he waited and wondered.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I think it was too much…everything. It's never been like that before."

Edward wrinkled his brow and after a moment's hesitation, he spoke, "Are you telling me that it was so good it made you cry?" He was incredulous.

She nodded sheepishly and looked away.

Edward started laughing. Soon he was lying on his back, holding his stomach as great shouts of laughter burst from his mouth.

"Hey!" she complained. When he didn't immediately stop, she grew agitated.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I'm just so relieved. It's not every day that I bring a woman to tears with my amazing orgiastic technique."

"Edward," she warned.

His laughter continued and she was affronted. But when she tried to leave in a huff, he held her tighter, keeping her on the bed.

"I think I have to tell someone about this. In fact, I may have to start a blog. I'm gonna need some outside opinions."

"Swear to God, if you don't stop laughing this will be the last time you see me naked," she grumbled into his chest.

With an abrupt snap as his teeth came together, Edward stopped laughing.

He relaxed his hold on her and she lifted her head to give him a stern glare. He captured her mouth in a searing kiss.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. You…caught me off guard." He continued to pepper her lips with kisses.

"Don't be mad." He pouted. "I'm so fucking happy right now. You have no idea."

Bella had to swallow hard. The joy in his voice made her throat tighten and beckoned the tears again.

"OK," she whispered, not trusting her voice. "I'm not mad." After a moment's silence, she added, "But I think I have a cramp in my little toe."

Chuckling, but careful not to laugh aloud, Edward sat up and ran his hands down her legs.

"Which one, sweetheart?"

She wiggled her toes and he tenderly massaged the cramp away.

Crawling back up to lay at her side, he brought her back against his chest and enveloped her in his embrace. She snuggled against him and gave a little sigh of contentment.

Far away, the sound of a phone ringing caught their attention.

Bella huffed.

"I've got to get that in case it's Ben." She crawled out of the bed and made her way downstairs, where her clothes lay in scattered disarray.

He watched her from the bed, and when she was out of sight, his face broke out in a huge smile. Crossing his ankles and resting his hands under his head, he silently congratulated himself.

_Good job not fucking it up! _

He hadn't been exaggerating when he told Bella how happy he was. He was darned near euphoric and he wanted her to come back so he could touch her some more.

He checked his watch; it was still early.

_Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back._

He heard her footsteps approach and he wiggled in anticipation.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as she stepped into the room.

"What? Oh, a cramp in my leg." He coughed.

"So Alice wants to meet us for breakfast." She sat down on the edge of the bed and he began to run his hands up and down her back.

"I don't want to talk about Alice right now."

"Oh?"

"I want you to climb back into this bed, and the only talking I want to hear is you shouting my name and saying words like faster, harder and deeper."

He kissed his way up her spine and lavished her neck with his tongue.

"That's not going to be a very interesting conversation." She reached up and grabbed his neck, pulling him closer.

"Don't worry," he nipped the skin behind her ear. "You won't mind."

"Edward," she sighed and rolled back onto the bed.

"Bella," he answered and covered her body with his own.

* * *

**So, uh this chapter was hard to write. Take a moment and tell me if it sucked or if you want more Poetward. Did you think the funny part was funny or are you asking yourself, "what funny part?" I should probably know that...**

**You have to go to HEAR 's profile and read her story** _Weighing In_. **It's a story about an entirely different kind of Bella and I am enjoying her v. much!**


	9. Chapter 8 Oh God!

**So, the morning after, here it is. It was around 8000 words; it kind of got away from me, so I deleted, but it's still pretty fluffy. **

**I'd like to say one thing about reviews, there are twice as many reads of the last chapter as there are of the one before. **

**Some of you read it more than once. **

**So now I know (points at all the pervy h00rs). ****You may not review, but you're right here with me! I take a great deal of delight in knowing that; for God's sake, review.**

**Thank you for all the help HEAR and JulieS! You give me so much confidence!**

**Thank you 107yearoldvirgin for the rec. at the end of Eight Days a Week. Do I now owe Don a favor? Please?**

* * *

In the quiet hours just before dawn, Bella lay next to Edward and relaxed.

It wasn't just a matter of loosening limbs or letting her mind wander. In order for Bella to relax she had to stop thinking about the myriad things, which constantly flowed through her consciousness. She had to stop worrying about those things, and she had to stop caring that she wasn't worrying about them: work, Ben, the house, the bills, the taxes, her friends, Ben's school, Ben's friends, Ben's summer clothes, the laundry, grocery shopping, her father's diet, Jasper's birthday, global warming, lead paint encapsulation and the rise in childhood lead poisoning, and her monthly self breast exam…all of it was forgotten. ALL of it was put aside for the first time in at least two decades as Bella lay in the dark, with Edward.

It felt so good.

It felt lush, and lavish and sinful, and she was weightless from the release. She didn't wonder where the worry had gone. Instead, she rolled over to take a good look at her companion.

_So, so, so, so, hot._

Edward awake was exciting, and he took her breath away. In repose, she was able to give her attention to the parts of him that were outshined by his captivating eyes and personality. He was beautiful.

His body was strong, lean like a runner, with subtly muscled arms and chest.

His legs were covered in a fine layer of reddish hair and she couldn't help herself-she had to touch it. Reaching out, she ran a hand along his leg from ankle to hip.

He hummed in his sleep and she withdrew, afraid to wake him.

She studied his chest and stomach, and the way his hair curled at the nape of his neck. She gently fingered the curls, and then brought her hand across his face to softly scratch the stubble on his chin.

_I wonder what he sees in me?_

Still asleep, he turned into her hand and nuzzled against it. His hand reached out and brushed the sheets, searching for something.

His eyes fluttered open and then closed.

"What are you doing way over there?" His voice was thick with sleep, and his eyes stayed shut as he spoke. He grasped her hips with both hands and pulled her close.

"Looking at you," Bella whispered and curled into his side. She pressed her face into his neck and breathed deeply.

"So, how do I look?"

"Magnificent, amazing, fuckhot."

He opened one eye and peered down at her.

"What? It's a word," she protested.

He hummed a little sound of pleasure and tightened his grip around her.

"If you say so."

"People who attended public universities should not mock the earthy colloquialisms of other people who attended public universities," she said, tartly.

"Gee, you're easy," he teased.

"Humph. I can say, with certainty, Mr. Cullen, that I did not make this easy on you, in any way."

"Ooh, call me Mr. Cullen again. Let's pretend that sexy Dr. Swan has just invited me into her office."

He ran tickling fingers over her hip and she squirmed and swatted his hand.

"God, you're snarky for someone who's supposed to be asleep."

Throughout their conversation Edward kept his eyes closed and Bella tucked into his side. She edged closer and made a sigh of contentment. He loved the way she melted into him when he held her. It was as if she was designed just to fit in his arms.

"If you hadn't been groping me, I'd still be asleep."

Bella opened her mouth to protest. But what could she say? It was true.

_Busted._

She giggled and wiggled a little closer, hoping distract him. He grabbed her hips, freezing her motions.

"Go back to sleep," he groaned.

"I'm not sleepy."

"What do you want to do?"

"What do you think I want to do?"

She felt his chest shake with a silent laugh.

"If I had known you were insatiable, I would have carbo-loaded at dinner."

"Uh!" she exclaimed. "I am NOT insatiable!"

_Maybe I am, but have you looked in the mirror lately?_

He rolled over onto his back and tucked a hand behind his head, mirroring his pose from earlier in the night.

She lay across his chest, which offered a spectacular view of the rest of his body. She ran a hand up his leg and around the inside of his thigh. She continued to trail along his stomach, never touching where he felt an acute need for her fingers. He whined her name and twitched a little into her hand. She smiled to herself and palmed his hard length. He sighed.

"Is this good?" she asked.

"Mmmm," he hummed. "Good."

She continued to softly touch and stroke his body, sometimes touching where he wanted it most, sometimes tracing patterns on his stomach, chest and legs.

"You're driving me crazy."

She giggled and buried her face in his chest. He could see her blush coloring the back of her neck.

_Shy and saucy at the same time. What a fucking erotic combination._

"I really want to keep touching you," she told him. "But I don't think I can…wait for you."

He grabbed her under the arms and pulled her to lie along his body.

"Then don't," he told her and attacked her lips with his own. She moaned into his mouth and straddled his hips.

"OK," she agreed, and slid onto him as they both groaned with pleasure.

* * *

They were awakened late the next morning by a call from Alice. Breakfast was over and the entire group was headed back to the brownstone, with Ben in tow.

"Time to get up, sleepyhead. My family is on it's way home."

Edward stretched and made a loud, growly moan. "Too bad," he grumbled. "I was hoping to break in that shower of yours."

Bella colored, remembering the last time. "I'd like that too, but unless you want to do the walk of shame in front of Alice and the boys, you'd better get going."

"The only shame is that we have to get dressed at all." He had rolled to the edge of the bed and was looking up at her with those incredible green eyes. Bella shook her head to clear it, and looked around for his clothes.

"OK smooth talker, get into your pants." She threw them onto the bed.

_Before I jump you again._

His mouth twisted into a grin and she realized that she had set him up for a joke.

"Don't…say it!" She put a finger to his lips.

"Say what?" He was all innocence.

She pointed a finger at him as she walked into her closet to dress, grabbing jeans and a t-shirt on the way. She could hear him chuckling as he moved around the room.

"Oh!" she shouted from the closet. "Let's have crabs tonight."

"Excuse me? Are we doing the doctor role playing thing after all?"

"Let's have people over to _eat_ crabs, you goofball." She emerged from the closet straightening her shirt, and was relieved to see that he was dressed. Despite the fact that his clothes had spent the night on the floor, he still managed to look sexy and put together in his slacks and dress shirt.

_Bare feet and trousers. You've got to be kidding me._

"Dear Lord, Cullen, even after a long night of debauchery you still manage to look-"

"Fuckhot?" he interrupted with a grin.

"Absolutely," she agreed and they laughed together.

She walked with him downstairs, collecting the rest of their clothing along the way. They kissed at the door. They were soft and tender kisses that he filled with unspoken promises.

"When can I see you again?" His nose still rested on her cheek. He wasn't ready to break their connection.

Bella's eyes lit up.

_He wants to see me again! Happy dance!_

"In an hour? Would you go with me to get the crabs?"

"I'd go anywhere with you," he whispered and began to kiss her, again.

Bella rolled her eyes in response. "For goodness sake, Cullen! Would you turn off the charm for two minutes?" She laughed when he looked at her in surprise. "Yes, you're smooth, you're hot. Message received. Now would you get out of here before my kid sees you mauling me?" She gave him a playful shove. She knew she was about ten seconds from succumbing to his kisses, and it really was time for him to go.

"OK, Bella. I can wait an hour if you can." He licked his lips suggestively and made his way across the hall.

She colored and closed her eyes.

"Go home, Edward."

She heard him laugh, but kept her eyes shut until she heard his door close. When she opened them he was gone. Exhaling deeply, she went into her own home.

Bella stood with her back against the closed door. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back and a grin spread across her face from ear to ear. If she had ever had a better night she couldn't think of when.

_Oh. My. God. Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod._

She clasped her hands in front of her face and paced the entryway.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod. Where are you Alice?_

Bella was impatient. She felt that she needed to tell Alice absolutely everything in order to confirm that it had actually happened. She exhaled the breath she had been holding when she heard the sounds of her rowdy friends outside.

_Finally!_

As soon as they were inside she kissed and hugged everyone, threw Ben into the bathroom for a shower and dragged Alice off to the home office. She would have preferred to lie on her bed for the debriefing, but she was too embarrassed by the disheveled state of her room for that.

Left in the wake of whirlwind Bella, Jasper and Emmett headed to the kitchen for beer. They drank in silence. Though they were both interested in the outcome of last night's date, neither one was going to admit it to the other. To Jasper's relief, it was Emmett who suggested they see if Edward was watching the game at his place. Grabbing more beer, they made their way to Edward's, their leisurely pace belying their anticipation.

"Oh my God, Alice, oh my God!" Alice was comfortable on a small sofa while her friend paced the floor and continued to utter the same phrase over and over again.

"Bella please! Oh my God good, or oh my God bad?"

Bella stopped short and turned to Alice.

"Good, Alice! OH MY GOD! GOOD!" Bella sank to her knees in front of the other woman and clasped their hands together. "The most incredible night of my life, bar none."

She went on to describe the over-the-top romantic evening in as much detail as she could, knowing, all the while, that Alice would be cataloging a list of questions in her mind.

When it was over, and the last detail had been wrung out of the story, Bella fell back onto the floor, exhausted. While she lay there with her arms and legs splayed out, Alice surveyed her appearance.

"Well, I will say this," Alice began. "You look thoroughly satisfied and something else…happy? Are you happy, sis?"

Bella laughed. "I think I am. Is this what happy feels like? I think I just feel normal. Is that possible? I feel like there's absolutely nothing weighing me down. Is that how you feel?"

"If I've had multiple orgasms the night before? Absolutely!" Alice was emphatic. "How do you think I stay so well adjusted?"

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed out loud. Was there anything better than a raunchy best friend, she wondered?

Across the hall, Emmett and Jasper waited for Edward to answer the door. They studiously avoided each other's eyes. When he arrived, still rubbing his wet hair with a towel, they both grinned assuming he had only been home a short time. Standing there with silly grins and arms full of beer, they reminded Edward of his high school buddies. He couldn't help himself; he smiled back. He opened the door widely and gestured for them to enter.

"I hope you've brought some of that for me." He pointed to the bottles.

"It depends," Emmett replied. "How forthcoming do you feel?"

Edward grabbed an opener and joined the men in his living room for another round.

"Forthcoming?" He hesitated while he contemplated what he would tell them. They considered Bella to be like a sister, but she wasn't their sister and he wondered if that made a difference.

"We just want to know if things went well and if Bella had a good time, is all," Jasper assured Edward.

"Screw that!" Emmett chided. "I want details. How was it?"

Jasper looked scandalized, and Edward closed his eyes and pursed his lips.

Emmett shook his head with disdain for the others.

"Who do you think you're kidding Jas? You're just as curious as I am! By my estimate, Bella hasn't had sex in almost five years. She's my best friend and she's smoking hot; I wanna know, did you break the seal on that or not?"

Edward couldn't help it; he had to laugh at Emmett's antics.

"The date was terrific. It couldn't have gone better. Thanks, Em." He nodded at his friend. "For the reservation and the introduction."

"No problem. I'm sure Bella lost her shit when she heard you talking in Italian."

Edward smiled remembering the look on her face. "Yeah. I think she liked it."

"Well," Jasper urged. "What about the dancing?"

"Oh, the dancing…right. We didn't make it to the club." Edward fidgeted and rubbed the back of his neck. He ignored the knowing smiles on the other's faces. "But it was fine. We came back to her place and it was…nice."

"Fine? Nice? Man, you disappoint me. I hope, for your sake, Bella thought it was better than that," Emmett goaded. "Fine," he grumbled. "Nice."

Edward grew exasperated with Emmett's grumbling and shot him a glare.

Jasper picked up on something in Emmett's demeanor and jumped in. "Leave him alone, Em. I'm sure everything was…_OK_." He gave a the tiniest of winks to Emmett.

"Well if it was _OK_, then I guess we don't have anything to worry about. I mean, as long as Bella's _OK_, then Edward's got everything under control." Emmett crossed his arms and stared at Edward, mentally counting down the seconds for Edward's response. When he had counted down to two, Edward threw his hands into the air and began to shout.

"What do you want me to say? That it was the best night of my life? It was! That Bella is the best lover I've ever had? She is! That I'm in so far over my head with this woman that I'm barely treading water? I am!"

Jasper was bug-eyed. He couldn't believe Edward had caved so quickly. Emmett slowly sipped his beer to hide his grin. His coworkers didn't call him 'the terminator' for nothing.

Edward flung himself into an armchair as if exhausted. "You guys are assholes," he muttered.

Emmett couldn't help himself. Edward's pathetic pose made him laugh, and when Jasper joined in he had to grip the arm of the sofa to keep from falling onto the floor.

"Thank God," he gasped, "you're not on the hostage negotiations team!" and then he actually did fall on the floor.

* * *

Friends of Bella's and a few of Edward's filled the house, the hallway and spilled out into the street on Saturday night. Happy to be out of the office, enjoying a warm summer evening, the talk and laughter were loud. Edward was watching with pride as Bella moved throughout the room, talking and laughing with her friends. He noticed that she had a smile for each person and a hug or some other comforting touch. It reminded him of the way his mother had of putting people at ease.

After a while she made her way over to him and snuggled up on the sofa at his side.

"Having fun?"

"I'm having fun watching you. Everyone loves you, you know."

"Well, I throw the best parties."

"That may be true, but that's not why all these people are here."

"Oh yeah?"

He leaned in and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "You're irresistible, sweetheart. Don't you know that?"

"My desserts, maybe," she scoffed.

"You, certainly," he affirmed.

"Have you eaten?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Don't change the subject." He smiled and tapped her on the end of the nose.

Bella was saved from answering by a bellowing voice coming from the hallway.

"Bella!" it shouted. "Come out and kiss your beer man!"

Bella rolled her eyes at Edward and got out of her seat. "Jake's here. Be right back."

Bella approached the hulking figure of Jacob Black as he stood in the center of her living room. Well over six feet tall, he dominated the room with his size. In his arms he carried three cases of beer. "Hey, Jake," Bella welcomed. "Bring it on into the kitchen."

He followed her into the kitchen and set the cases on the counter.

"Thanks, Jake. This is great!" Bella said. "How much do I owe you?"

"Bella, we've talked about this before. You don't have to pay me for the beer." He reached out and put his hands on her hips. Leaning in, he whispered something in her ear. Bella squirmed uncomfortably in his grasp.

Edward clenched his teeth in irritation. He didn't want to be that guy, the possessive, jealous guy, but there was something infuriating about the way this Jake used his body to isolate and dominate Bella while he was talking to her. He was seriously considering stepping in when Bella grabbed Jake's wrists and pushed them away.

"Sorry, Jake. I'm afraid I don't care for those terms. You're going to have to settle for a check." She opened the refrigerator and began stacking the bottles inside. Undeterred, Jake slid up behind her nuzzling his face into her neck and wrapping his arms around her.

"Jake, seriously, stop." Bella tried again. Edward could hear the exasperation in her voice and could feel his nails digging into his palms; he was clenching them so tightly.

"Bella, honey, I can feel your heart going a mile a minute. Don't tell me I don't affect you the same way you affect me." He emphasized his point by rubbing up against her suggestively.

Bella gritted her teeth. "Jake," she said menacingly, "back up or I will have to hurt you." He laughed at her knowing his size alone was enough to keep her where he wanted her.

"Bella, can I help you load these into the icebox?" Bella looked up and saw, with relief, that Edward was standing there with more beer in his hands. Jacob scowled at the intrusion.

Edward fixed his jaw and gave Jacob a threatening glare.

"Hey, thanks,Edward." Bella smiled and stepped back, pushing Jacob along with her. When she had enough room, she threw an elbow into his ribs and was pleased to hear his sharp intake of breath. She turned and scowled at the man. "Behave," she spoke quietly, "or go home."

Unabashed, Jacob winked at her and grabbed a beer. "See you in a bit, Bella."

Bella turned back to the refrigerator. Edward was diligently loading the beer in, trying hard to look unconcerned, but he could not release the tension he was feeling.

"So now you know my beer hook-up," Bella said, lightly.

"I'm not sure it's worth it if you have to face that guy every time you want a decent drink, Bella."

"Maybe not." Bella was thoughtful. "But he's not usually that aggressive. I'm not sure what brought that on. He's typically just a big flirt."

Edward could have told her exactly what had changed. Jacob Black had identified Edward as a rival the minute he was through the door. Edward was familiar with the looks of territorial men from the LA club scene. Usually he didn't care enough to pursue a woman who had someone else's interest, but the idea of another man laying a hand on Bella put him on edge, and for once he didn't back down.

"I'll do it."

"Hmm?" Bella hummed, as she washed her hands in the sink.

"I'll get the beer from now on."

"What? Edward, Jacob owns a bar. It's easy enough for him to order it for me."

"It will be just as easy for me. He's taking advantage, and you don't deserve to be treated that way."

Bella was surprised by Edward's comments. She wanted to be annoyed with him for thinking she couldn't handle herself, but she did not have time for little boy's games. If Edward wanted to be her beer distributor, she would let him. She would also need to find a way to deal with Jacob. Flirting was one thing, but he could not continue to impose himself on Bella the way he had tonight.

_Maybe Edward's right. Crap!_

"OK," she said.

"OK?" Edward asked.

"Yup. It's all you.

From the other side of the wall Jasper silently listened to their conversation. Smiling, he muttered, "Well done, my friend," and walked away.

Later, Bella was sitting in Edward's lap showing him how to eat the spicy crabs she had prepared, when he caught Jacob staring from across the room. Taking a quick glance to be sure Ben wasn't nearby, Edward nuzzled Bella's neck with his nose and scratched her with his beard. He took satisfaction in the scowl returning to Jacob's face and the girlish giggle it elicited from Bella.

"Hey! Pay attention," she admonished. "I'm not going to sit here all night and feed you, you know."

"If you don't stop wiggling your ass into my crotch, we're going to have bigger problems than that," he warned, playfully.

Her eyes widened and she turned to face him. "Sorry." She was sheepish.

"I'm only sorry that we can't be alone right now." He shifted in his seat and she could feel what he was talking about. "There are so many things I didn't get to do with you last night. Things I think you'll like, very much."

Bella was about to speak when she heard Alice loudly clear her throat and felt a kick under the table. She looked up to frown at Alice and saw Ben walking into the room.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and hopped off Edward's lap. He flinched and drew his legs up at the sudden movement. Bella cringed.

"Sorry" she whispered, and blushed when she heard the chuckles of the other guests at the table.

_Oh, God. Kill me now._

"Ben!" she called, a little too brightly. "Are you having a good time?"

"Mom," he whined. "Uncle Emmett won't give me a turn on Mario Kart."

She put a hand on his head and tilted his face to look at her. Her heart clenched at his expression. He was so much like his father.

"He won't?" she asked.

"He says I'll have plenty of time to play when he's dead," the boy huffed in frustration.

Bella shook her head. "I have an idea. Let's make him some sandwiches; he'll have to stop and eat them, and then you'll get a turn." Bella's voice faded away as she led Ben into the kitchen.

Edward smiled as he watched them. She was so much more of a woman, more womanly, than anyone else he had been with. Unlike men who resented their girlfriend's children, he felt her motherhood made her more feminine and attractive. She wore it well.

_You are so insanely whipped. _He did a little mental happy dance.

"She's got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" Alice asked from across the table.

Edward cleared his throat and fiddled nervously with the pile of crab shells in front of him.

"What would give you that idea?" His brow furrowed and smoothed as he struggled to maintain a calm façade.

"I saw you do that little happy dance in your seat." Alice raised her eyebrows. "I also see how your eyes follow her everywhere." She leaned in and asked, "Are you going to take care of her?"

"I like her a lot, Alice. She's important. I want to take care of her." After a moment he added, "I have plans."

Alice put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "She doesn't make it easy, does she?"

He barked out a laugh. "Well, I'm sure there are more accommodating women in this world, but then they just wouldn't be Bella, would they?"

They chatted across the table for a while, until Edward noticed that Bella had not returned. Excusing himself, he got up to search for her. He found her pressed into a corner of the kitchen with Jacob Black's hulking body blocking her exit. His palms were flat on the counter and his hips were pressed up against hers. She stood with her arms crossed and an irritated look on her face. He heard Jacob say something that sounded like, "Baby, please."

Edward clenched his fists and rushed across the kitchen. Before he reached them she caught his eye and shook her head at him. He stopped short, surprise evident on his face.

_What? She can't handle that ass by herself!_

Bella's irritation turned to anger and she shoved Jacob hard on his shoulders. The next thing Edward saw was Emmett rushing by him to intervene. He insinuated himself between the two and glared at the man.

"Take a break, Jake," he demanded.

Knowing Emmett wasn't about to back down, Jacob left to smoke. Jasper had seen Emmett go rushing by and had joined them in the kitchen. Emmett was whispering something to Bella, who looked decidedly irritated. Hoping to salvage some of his masculine pride, Edward followed Jacob out the door. Jasper turned to join him, but Edward waved him off. He wanted to handle the jackass himself.

Jacob was lighting up when Edward walked onto the patio. He took a long drag from the cigarette and rolled his eyes in Edward's direction.

"Back the fuck off, man. You don't know about me and Bella."

"I know that Emmett and Jasper were about twelve seconds from kicking your ass back there. I know that if Bella was ever your friend that you are very close to losing her. I know that she's inside right now wondering why she has to put up with your ridiculous crap."

"Whatever. Bella's not like that." Jacob dropped his butt on the concrete and ground it out with his heel. He turned to stalk into the house, but Edward cut off his progress by blocking the door. His jaw was set, his fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes blazed with a green fury.

Despite Jacob's considerable size, he stepped back from the anger rolling off the other man.

"If you know what's good for you, _you _will back off from Bella." Edward's voice was menacing. He closed his eyes and let some of the anger diffuse. Pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers, he attempted to make this boy understand what he had done wrong.

"Do you think a woman like Bella is ever going to respond to you when you act like that? She's got a kid and a real life. She doesn't want to be manhandled and pushed around, especially by someone who acts like a spoiled kid."

"Hey, I get plenty of girls." Jacob was indignant. "Women," he added after a moment.

"I'll bet. College girls who don't know any better, who think you're something special and are flattered because you gave them a second glance." He took Jacob's silence as affirmation. "Shame on you if you treat them like that."

"Like what?" he snapped.

"Like you're the prize instead of the outrageously lucky winner."

The men were silent, Edward's words hanging in the air between them.

Jacob broke the silence first. "You're not actually…serious about her, are you?" His voice was full of disbelief.

_Fuck if I'm going to tell you before I tell her._

"I just might be," he hedged, "and if I find out she feels the same way, that I'm lucky enough to have her care about me too, I'm going to spend the rest of my days making sure she never regrets it."

Jacob looked as if such an idea made him ill. He was clearly not ready for that kind of a commitment.

He liked Bella and he felt a certain possessiveness toward her. He had always felt they were meant to be since their families were so close, but he wasn't nearly ready for something serious. Realizing this was not his time with Bella; he decided to take his leave and try another day.

"Well…uh, tell Bella I left and I…will see her around, at the bar, and whatnot." He turned and practically ran down the street.

As Edward made his way back to the party, Bella met him in the hallway.

"Jake left?" she asked.

Edward nodded and put his arm around her. "He said to tell you he'd see you around."

Bella frowned. "I don't know what I'm going to do about him."

"Right now I'm more interested in what you're going to do about me." Bella looked at him quizzically. "You made me feel like a real tool back there. Why didn't you let me help you?"

"Because I can take care of myself."

"I know that you can, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to take care of you a little bit, too."

He stepped around her so they were face-to-face.

"Don't you see, Bella? You're _my_ girl. I know it's early for us, but I've been feeling this way for a while." He sighed in frustration.

"I know that you can take care of yourself, but when some overgrown jock wants to rub himself all over you, I take it personally. It's my job to get him to back off, just like it's my job to open your door, hold your hand in scary movies, and kill bugs inside the house."

As he spoke he nudged her backwards until she was against the wall and he had placed one hand on her hip and the other on her cheek. He began to leave little kisses on her neck.

"What about my books?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Yes," he whispered. "I carry all books _and_ groceries."

"Where are your keys?" she demanded, and began patting his pockets, front and back.

"They're in my apartment. Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Yes." She took his hand and led him across the hall and into his home.

"Bella, wha-"

She grabbed the belt loops of his pants and turned him into the wall, cutting off his question. Her kissing became more frantic and intense as she rubbed her body the length of his. He was surprised to feel her hands tugging at his waistband and even more shocked when he felt the button of his pants give way. This was not the bashful woman he had seduced the night before. She was something altogether different.

"Bella?" he whispered, and reached out to grab her wrists.

"Don't stop me, Edward. I want this. I need you." She slithered down to kneel in front of him, and suddenly he was free of his clothing. He felt a rush of anticipation and when her warm hands touched his thighs he thought he might not make it to the actual sex act.

_Keep it together! She's going to…oh her lips…unngh!_

Her mouth was soft, her touch gentle and she moved around him, licking and teasing, with a care he had never before experienced. It was as if she was really feeling him, really tasting him, instead of merely committing the act for him. She made quiet sounds of pleasure that drove him wild with desire.

When she covered him with her mouth, he felt it all the way to his toes. He groaned loudly, and she felt a powerful satisfaction at the sound. Wrapping her arms around his legs she guided his hips toward her mouth instead of moving her head. It felt odd to him to be moving under her power, but he let her control his movements. It was intoxicating. Her lips brushing over him slow then fast, short then deep. He didn't know how the pleasure would come from one moment to the next. He didn't want to look down and risk climaxing too soon, but his curiosity got the better of him and he just had to see what she was doing to him.

_Don't do it. Don't look down. Fuck, I have to see what's she's doing. Oh God, what she's doing to me._

He tipped his chin down and opened his eyes. He expected to see something erotic. What he got was mind blowing. Bella was looking up at him with those huge brown eyes, her mouth wrapped around him and one delicate hand on his stomach.

_Shit!_

He didn't even have a chance to warn her. He came loud and hard and it was more intense than any orgasm he had ever felt.

He slid down the door to sit on the floor. She was still kneeling and curled up into his side. For a few moments he sat there catching his breath, while she whispered endearments in his ear.

"What was that?" he finally asked.

Bella's lips curled into a smile. "I think we both know what that was."

"I know I'm _supposed _to know what that was, but that wasn't like any…_that _I've ever had in my life."

She giggled and he pulled her closer. "Thank you," he spoke into her hair. "That was…well there aren't any words for what that was, so just, thank you."

She nodded and bit her lip. The words 'I love you' were on the tip of her tongue, and she didn't trust herself not to say it. She wasn't in love with him, but she felt a kind of love for all her friends and she was certainly developing some kind of deeper feelings for Edward. She knew she had to be careful. Equating sex with love was how she had screwed up her life the first time around.

In the dim light of the hallway he could see the conflict warring on her face. He had no idea what she was thinking, but he wasn't ready to lose the moment to her doubts.

"I want you in my bed," he spoke softly in her ear.

A slow smile lit up her face but she shook her head. "We can't. We have to get back." She tried to rise, but he held her in place.

"Bella, please," he begged while he kissed her hair, her face, the delicious skin at the top of her shoulder.

Just like that, relaxation time was over. She felt the burden of her responsibilities settle back down in that space at the back of her neck. Her smile faded a bit as she adjusted under the weight of it.

"Sorry," she replied, patting his hand. It was the same gesture she had used the day they first met. "I have guests." She kissed his cheek and got to her feet. She wasn't angry with Edward, but she was disappointed. To be fair, she was the one who dragged him away from the party, but why didn't he understand that she couldn't ignore her obligations?

_Fucking endless obligations._

She looked down at Edward as he looked at her with sultry eyes. It seemed so simple for him. He wanted her. He should have her.

_No, it's not that sinister. He's never treated me disrespectfully. _

In fact she knew it was quite the opposite. He treated her with tender care and it had touched her heart, which was why she had been so aggressive with him moments before. His care had flared something primal in her. A desire to bind him to her…or her to him.

_Well, which is it? Am I offering or taking?_

The sounds of people moving in the hall brought her back to the present. Edward was off the floor and adjusting his clothing. He looked sheepish as he apologized for being indifferent to her needs.

"I just can't help but want you," he offered in explanation. "You take my breath away."

She looked away and smiled. She had misjudged him and he had surprised her, again. She looked back and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"You're a lovely man, and not at all what I expected," she told him.

His cheeks pinked, but he didn't look away. "I could say the same of you," he replied and stole a kiss. The words "I love you" were on the tip of his tongue and he wanted to tell her, so badly, but he didn't want her to think he was confusing sex with love.

They were holding hands when they entered her apartment, a fact that did not go unnoticed by all her friends and relations, including Ben, who wondered what it meant. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his uncle Emmett looking down with his eyebrows raised. Emmett nodded his head toward the pair at the door, and Ben's face broke into a wide grin. Smiling back, Emmett guided him into the kitchen. There were rumors of dessert being served.

* * *

**So, there it is. Before anyone asks, Ben hasn't seen anything inappropriate, and neither will he. Bella is just that good. I mean seriously, the woman is a flippin goody-two-shoes to the core. Can't you tell?**

**More fluff in the next chapter and then the tiniest bit of angst.**

**I've received some really considerate reviews. Thank you for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking. If I could live on praise I would, I find it incredibly motivating and so low in calories, what's not to like?**

**Thanks, again.**

**JEn**

**P.S. You know, I think I just figured something out. For a while I've been wondering why the first chapter of the story has hundreds more hits than the rest of the chapters. Were that many people reading and leaving without continuing? Today I noticed (while obsessively refreshing) that the number of hits to the first chapter and the number of hits to the newest chapter went up by the same increment. Sooo you have the story on your faves list, but not on alerts, and if you want to read it you have to go to the first chapter and then scroll? I did this too until I figured out that by putting a story on alerts you get a message in your email with the link that takes you to the newest chapter. How do you do this? Click on "add to story alerts" at the bottom of the page or even better at the bottom of the review window *wink* and it shall be done. **


	10. Chapter 9

**FYI: if you are a WW fan you may notice that the timeline of this story coincides with the summer that The President's daughter is kidnapped. For the purposes of this story I'm not following that plot, because it's not really about WW, after all.**

**Someone inquired if I would be able to highlight future lemons and leave out important plot points so she wouldn't have to read them. I apologize, but I won't be able to do that. This story is rated M and involves adults over the age of consent. As it happens in real life, sometimes important discoveries are made when these characters are in bed together. Though the lemons aren't nearly as graphic as some you may read, you'll have to suffer through or move onto another story.**

**Thank you, ladies of PTB. You are terrific. **

* * *

Edward had never felt so at ease in his life. Since things had progressed with Bella he felt expansive and satisfied. He was excited and jovial.

He was annoying.

Every chance he got to talk with Jasper he spoke of Bella until Jasper took him aside.

"Listen, gabby, I know that you're in love and all, but dummy up for Christ's sake! We have work to do and if I have to hear about how amazing Bella is one more time I'm calling Charlie and telling him you're a dope smuggler." He frowned and pointed his finger at Edward's chest.

Edward stopped talking, but his smile was irrepressible. Jasper sighed and ignored it. He really was very happy for both of his friends, but he had his own woman to take care of, and he wanted to get home.

"Have you told Bella, yet?" Jasper asked, changing the subject.

Edward winced, the smile no longer in evidence.

"No." He was sullen.

Bella was still unaware that his mother, Esme Cullen, was also Esme Platt the benefactor of the Platt Endowment, the foundation which had just awarded a large sum of money to Georgetown Children's Hospital in recognition of the work Bella had done.

At this point, he was still trying to convince his mother to come clean with Bella herself, or at least postpone the personal visit she had planned in order to disburse the funds.

"What the hell are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for my damned mother to do what I'm asking her to do for once in my life!"

"But, Edward-"

"Look, Jas, we've discussed this. The foundation can give its money to whomever it wants."

"Maybe, but you can't keep from Bella the fact that your mother is the one giving it to her. You know how she feels about being lied to. Damn it! I really wish I didn't know any of this."

"I know you're right." Edward sighed. "I'm being selfish. We're just enjoying each other so much, right now, it feels like it took us forever to get here."

"Don't make me tell her. I cannot go there with Bella…and Alice. Jesus, Alice will kill me." He looked directly at Edward. "Handle this, Edward."

Edward sighed and tried not to look annoyed. "I've got it under control. "

"Hmm. Famous last words." Jasper snorted as Edward walked away.

* * *

Bella was sitting in her living room tapping her foot. It was almost midnight and there was still no sign of Edward.

_It's 11:45 on a Wednesday night and I'm sitting here wondering if I'm gonna get laid or not._

Bella sighed.

_Yes!_

She leaned back on the sofa and kicked her legs into the air while thrashing her head and arms back and forth. Waiting for a maybe…sort of…kind of…, possibility of a chance to have sex far surpassed any weeknight activity she had experienced in a long time, and she was positively giddy about it.

He hadn't been kidding when he told her that he wanted to please her. It seemed like it was Edward's mission in life to provoke as much pleasure out of Bella as possible. Since their work schedules and Bella's home life kept them from having many regular dates there was a lot of illicit hallway groping and after hours trysting.

It was awesome.

Bella closed her eyes and thought about Edward catching her in the hall after work.

_He stood with his hands pressed against the wall on either side of her head. _

"_Jesus, Bella, I haven't kissed this much since high school."_

_His breath was hot in her ear and sent shivery tingles through her body._

"_Do you want to stop?"_

_He looked up as if amazed that she would consider such a thing._

"_Hell no," he said and leaned in to capture her mouth._

"_Mmmm. Kissing…good." she whispered between breaths._

_She pushed under the hem of his shirt and ran her hands along the trail of hair that disappeared into his waistband. She was about to pass the point of no return when she felt a rush of air as Edward pulled away from her. Before she could ask what he was doing, Bella felt a tug on her leg._

_It was Ben. "Mom, I need help with my math."_

_Apparently Edward's kisses rendered her deaf to doors opening._

Bella heard her phone buzz alerting her to an incoming text message.

**Edward: **Sorry, it's going to be an all nighter.

**Bella: ***sigh* I guess I can catch up on my sleep.

**Edward: **Tired?

**Bella: **Well I've had a huge problem keeping me awake.

**Edward: **HUGE?

**Bella: **My boyfriend keeps me up all night…

Edward was completely thrilled that she had called him her boyfriend. Before he could reply to her text she sent another.

**Bella: …**with his snoring.

She smiled when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked as if she had no idea who was calling.

"I don't snore."

"How do you know? You're usually asleep."

"Well, no one's…I uh...have never been told that I snore," he stuttered.

"You know, if _you_ bring up the topic of people you've slept with it gives me the right to question you about it."

"Oh, so you're gonna go prosecutor on me, Swan?"

"Well, _Mr. Cullen_ I've lived here long enough to know a few things about handling attorneys like you."

"Is that so, _Dr. Swan_? Exactly how many attorneys have you _handled_?"

"HA!" she shouted. "Well played, Cullen. If you're not going to be home tonight, when will I see you?

"I was hoping you would come by my office tomorrow for lunch. Will you?" he pleaded. She grinned because he sounded like a little boy.

"Mmmm. Lunch in the White House commissary. Hard to resist."

"Ah, but it's lunch at the White House commissary followed by groping in the White House Communications Office."

"Oh, when you put it that way, what time?" She laughed and he smiled along with her. A happy Bella made him happy too.

"I wish I was there with you." He sighed. "What are you wearing?"

Bella chuckled in to the phone and began to describe, in great detail, a teddy she had seen once on a mannequin at La Perla. With the exception of a few pairs of panties, Bella didn't own any sexy lingerie, but hearing his breath pick up in response to her description, she decided the time was right to invest in a few things.

* * *

Bella was excited the next day as she made her way through White House security. No matter how many times she performed the routine, she always felt a rush of excitement upon entering the nation's seat of power. She attached her visitor's badge to her blouse and began to search the lobby for Edward. His assistant, Kathy was there with a grin on her face.

"Hey, Swan." Kathy gave Bella a knowing smile before grabbing her friend in a hug. "Imagine my surprise when Edward asked me to meet you here today. I thought you barely knew each other?"

Bella fluttered her eyelashes, but kept her face impassive as she followed Kathy through the maze of West Wing offices.

"Kath, how do you know I'm not here to pick up a rent check?"

Kathy laughed and shook her head at Bella. "We _are _talking about this next girls' night. You know you're not getting off that easy."

Bella snorted.

_Getting off? You have no idea._

"So where is he?"

"In a meeting, of course. He asked me to take you to the comm. and wait with you. He should be along in a few minutes."

The women finally entered the bustling commissary and found a table near a group of female staffers. They chatted and caught up on their lives while they waited.

Eventually Edward appeared. He was walking with another man and they stopped at the door, deep in conversation. Bella watched him as he stood there. He had one had in his pocket and he was gesturing with the other. The look on his face was intense and serious and Bella felt a little thrill.

A voice from the other table cut through the cafeteria chatter.

"There he is!" One of the staffers at the other table jabbed her friend's arm. "That's Edward Cullen."

Kathy and Bella looked at each other with raised eyebrows and listened in.

"You're right he is cute."

"Cute?" The friend scoffed. "That man is a stone, cold fox and Tanya says he's great in the sack."

"Tanya?"

"You remember Tanya; the blond from Santa Monica who works for the councilman. We met at the thing in LA."

'Oh, right. She's slept with him?"

As the women continued their conversation Bella tried to tune them out. She felt a little ill hearing about the woman from Edward's past. It wasn't as if she cared that Edward had other lovers, she wasn't naïve. She just didn't want to think of his hands on anyone else's body but hers. She would also be damned to let another woman think she had a chance with her Edward.

_My Edward? _

Rising as he approached, she smiled broadly and snuck her arms under his suit coat and pulled him close. If he was surprised by her lack of decorum he didn't show it. He cupped her face in one hand and brought her mouth to his in a deep kiss that was only halted when Kathy cleared her throat.

"OK, guys. I'll see you upstairs, Edward. Bella, we'll talk." She looked at Bella with a pointed stare.

Bella shook her head and smiled up at Edward, who was smiling back.

"We look like two grinning fools," she told him. He nodded but didn't look away. Bella felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach, and pressed her hand there in reaction to it.

_Whoa._

"I feel it too," he sighed into her hair.

She looked up at him in surprise. It was impossible for Bella to imagine that Edward could feel the butterflies too.

_Maybe he's hungry._

Breaking the spell, he put his arm around her and led her toward the food lines.

"To what do I owe this enthusiastic greeting?" he asked.

"I've missed you." Bella stole a glance at the other women as they walked away and allowed herself the satisfaction of seeing their annoyed expressions. He caught her sidelong glance and was perplexed.

_What is she up to? _

When loud laughter erupted at the table he felt Bella stiffen against looked down and noticed worry lines spread across her forehead.

_Not the worry face._

He hated the worry face.

He would do almost anything to make the worry face go away.

"I missed you too, so much. I love…that you're here," He kissed her hair and pulled her closely into his side. Apparently _almost _anything did not include saying I love you; not yet

Rather than eat in the cafeteria, Edward quickly shuttled Bella back to his office. Their time together was limited and he certainly didn't want to see a reappearance of the worry face. Walking quickly, he managed to avoid interacting with anyone else on the way to his office. When they were finally seated he realized there were no utensils in his desk so he went off in search of them. By the time he returned to his office empty handed, he was frustrated by the wasted time.

"I didn't find any napkins-" He stopped short. He was dismayed to find Bella and his boss, Toby Zeigler embracing on his little sofa.

_I knew I should have locked the door._

"Toby," he stated with a sigh.

They broke apart and he could see tears in her eyes. Toby sat back looking smug.

_The fuck?_

"Bella?" he questioned, concern evident in his voice.

"Oh, Edward," she laughed. "Toby's going to be a dad! He's just told me his Andi is due any day now."

Edward was astonished. He hadn't known Toby was seeing anyone. The man was so typically taciturn, . Edward barely knew anything about him.

"Hey, congratulations." Edward held out his hand to shake Toby's. "You've certainly kept that quiet."

Toby thanked Edward muttering something about Congresswoman Wyatt's reelection campaign. Edward was confused by the man's ramblings until he made an important connection.

_Wait. Andrea Wyatt-Andi. Ah, way to go Toby!_

Clearly uncomfortable, Toby rose to leave.

He turned to Bella with his usual stiffness. "Dr. Swan." He nodded at her. "I'll tell Andi to give you a call. Edward, don't forget your meeting on the hill."

"Bye Toby." Bella smiled and gave his hand a squeeze before he left the office.

She looked back at Edward and grinned. "I'm starving! Can we please eat now?"

"Don't blame me. It's not my fault you know everyone in DC."

Bella made a little huffing noise and started to open the box with her lunch in it.

"To be fair, I probably only know everyone you know. You just don't know that I know who you know until you see that I know them, and that makes you think that I know everyone."

Edward chewed slowly as he tried to make sense of what she said. Bella bit her lip, but her eyes were alight with mischief.

"OK, then." He paused, then added, "Glad you cleared that up for me."

Bella's answering laughter filled the office as she got up from her place on the settee and opened one of the large file drawers behind his desk. She rifled around for a second, pulled out a handful of napkins and handed him one.

"Kathy always files them under 'N'," she explained.

Edward looked at her, baffled, until a realization hit him.

"You've had lunch in this office before," he stated. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Oh," she said when she heard it. "A few times. Sam and I…this was Sam's office."

"Of course." He frowned. "I knew that. I just didn't…think." Suddenly the fun atmosphere was replaced with tension.

Dropping the napkins, she walked over to stand between his legs. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist and he looked up. She ran her fingertips over his jaw as she contemplated his face. She could see the turmoil in his expression, and somehow she just knew what was running through his mind. For the first time Edward looked unsure of himself.

_Inconceivable!_

Bella was a little uncertain about how to proceed. All this time Edward had been doing the pursuing. She suddenly realized how unfair this was. He had been doing all the work and she had been reaping all the reward. She couldn't believe she had been so cavalier with his affection.

_Have I been careless with his feelings?_

Regardless, Bella knew that she couldn't stand to see the look on his face any longer and if she had her way, she would never see it there again.

_But I'm the one who put it there. Damn._

"Edward…I," she stammered. "There was never anything…romantic between Sam and I. I wouldn't be so thoughtless…I just couldn't."

She continued to stroke his cheek.

"It's OK, Bella. It's just lunch," he said calmly, but his voice was rough, and he didn't let her go.

She was confused and she wanted to allay his fears, but she didn't know what to say. He felt her hand trembling against his cheek so he grabbed it with his own and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm.

_Say something, Bella._

"You make me happy," she blurted out.

She felt his lips turn up against her hand and was relieved. He felt her relax and decided that it was as good a time as any to declare something of his feelings for her. It just wasn't possible to hold it in anymore.

The time they spent together only heightened his need for her. However, it was the endless time apart that made him realize how deeply he was in love. From the minute he left her bed in the small hours to the minute he returned to her arms she was on his mind.

He found himself wanting to call her from work to get her opinion on the things he was doing. In his rare moments of down time he imagined her sitting on that same little sofa talking about the day's events or mundane office gossip. When he ate lunch he wondered what she was eating and who she was talking to and how her day was going.

Suddenly he knew just what he wanted to say.

"You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever," he whispered, and he knew it was true.

* * *

They decided to take Ben to an Orioles game and discuss their relationship with him. It would be the first time they had ventured out together as a trio, and Edward was nervous. He really liked Ben and the last thing he wanted was to alienate the boy or make him feel uncomfortable knowing that his friend, Edward, was having a romantic relationship with his mother. But Edward knew that Ben was a smart child and would probably figure things out sooner rather than later. He hated that Ben might think important things were being hidden from him.

Bella was nervous too, but not for the same reasons. Telling Ben was a big step and Bella knew that there was a risk that Ben would become too attached to Edward. The truth was that Ben was already attached to Edward. He had become a part of their daily lives and it would be very difficult for Ben if Edward moved on. However, it would be so much worse to give Ben the false hope that they were going to become a family. Eight-year-olds just couldn't understand the vagaries of an adult romantic relationship.

It was all so confusing that Bella wanted to put it off as long as possible. But she agreed with Edward that Ben would eventually figure something out, and she decided it would be worse to let him try and make sense of their relationship on his own than to explain as much as he could understand.

Because traffic between Baltimore and DC was so universally bad, they decided to leave in the morning and make it a day trip. Arriving early they walked the sights in the Inner Harbor, toured the USS Constellation and visited the aquarium. By three o'clock Bella was starting to believe this had been a bad idea. Ben was crabby, and Bella felt grimy and shopworn.

"Maybe we should go home and catch a game another night," she suggested.

Edward agreed and trundled them off to the underground parking garage where they had left the car. However, instead of taking the elevator down, Edward slipped them into one going up.

"Wait," Bella called. "We're going up."

Edward grabbed her hand before she could slip it between the closing elevator doors.

"This is the right way. I booked us a room so we could relax before the game." He held up a key card and grinned.

"A hotel room!" Ben shouted. "Yes! Can I jump on the beds? Can I get ice? Will we get room service?"

Bella gave her son a baffled look. "What do you know about room service?" she asked.

"I know you can get a burger that costs $20. That's what my friend Marcus gets whenever he goes to see his dad. He says hotels have the best ice and no one cares if you jump on the bed!" Ben pulled a little fist pump that made both adults laugh.

"Would you like to order room service instead of eating at the game?" Edward asked.

Ben thought about it for a minute. "The game has hot dogs?"

"Yes."

"Nachos?"

"I'm sure."

"Can we have peanuts and throw the shells on the ground?"

"Of course," Edward replied with a snicker.

"Eat at the game," he decided.

They had arrived at the room. Edward held the door open for Bella and she ushered Ben inside. It was an average hotel room, but Bella could see that something extraordinary had happened within. There were three small suitcases on the luggage rack and a picnic basket full of sandwiches and drinks sat on a small table.

"How?" she asked.

"Alice." He shrugged his shoulders and resisted the urge to fold her into his arms. "Now why don't you take a long shower and Ben and I will dive into some snacks."

"You're amazing, and I don't deserve you," she whispered. Suddenly tears were pricking her eyes. "Thank you for taking care of us."

"Thank you for letting me," he replied softly, brushing her cheek with his fingertip. "I'd give you the world if I could."

As Bella enjoyed the hotel's endless hot water she marveled over the thoughtfulness of the man who was quickly becoming the focus of all her attention. It was as if her mind and body had been infiltrated with some kind of Edward Cullen virus.

_I'm infected! Ew, that's creepy._

She ran soapy hands over her body and felt a shiver thinking of his hands there.

_Mmmm, he's so hot._

She pictured the intensity in his eyes as he hovered over her on her bed.

_I love him…wait. WHAT?_

Bella's eyes were open in an instant. Before she could consider her last thought, shampoo drizzled past her lids and began searing her eyeballs. Her shock gave way to pain and she unleashed a torrent of curses that brought Ben and Edward running.

"Mom!" Ben shouted. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Soap in my eye. I'm fine."

She was not fine. She sank to the tub floor with her fingers pressed into her eyelids.

_What is wrong with me? Normal people don't fall in love in the bathroom of the downtown Sheraton! _

_Christ, Bella when have you ever been normal? _

_You're in love with Edward._

"Shut up!" she shouted at herself.

"Bella?" Edward's voice startled her.

_Shit, shit, shit._

"Oh, sorry, Edward. I didn't know you were in here. I was talking to myself."

_And sounding really stupid._

"I just brought you a change of clothes. I'll leave it on the vanity."

She waited until she heard the door click shut, then peeked her head out of the shower curtain, blinking against the burning in her eyes. To her relief he was gone. She grabbed a towel and sat on the edge of the tub. She really wanted to call Alice, but she could hardly ask Edward to bring her phone to the bathroom.

Ever practical, Bella decided to push it to the back of her mind to think about later. Ben and Edward were waiting and they still had a task ahead of them. She dressed quickly and opened the door, letting a billow of steam into the bedroom.

Edward strolled in with a soda in his hand and a smirk on his face. Bella's heart beat a little faster as if she had been caught misbehaving.

_Be cool, spaz. _

He handed her the can and leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.

"You'll never guess what Ben and I have been talking about."

"Hmm?" Bella hummed while she toweled her hair and tried to act naturally.

"Apparently Marcus's father has a girlfriend."

"Yeah," Ben added, walking in. "She's always kissing Marcus's dad and talking to him like he's a baby. Marcus says she's creepy." He perched on the edge of the tub.

Bella's and Edward's eyes held in the reflection of the mirror. Bella resumed work on her hair and casually continued the conversation.

"So what would you say if Edward had a girlfriend?" she asked.

Ben looked alarmed. "Would you still be able to hang out with us, Edward…and play chess?"

"I don't see why not." Edward nodded.

"And COD?"

"Of course. I'll still be your friend, Ben. We can play any games you want."

"Will she want to hug me?" He grimaced.

"Maybe. You might want her to," he offered.

Ben shuddered at the thought.

"But what about Mom?" he whispered and nodded in Bella's direction. "Marcus's dad's girlfriend doesn't like when Marcus's dad hangs out with his mom."

Edward reached up with one finger, to hide his smile. Bella gave him a stern look and he got serious.

"What if… if your mom was my girlfriend?" Edward hesitated. "Would that be OK?"

Ben was silent. Edward and Bella stood frozen and anxious, instantly regretting the decision to have this conversation.

_What if he can't handle it? _

"Mom?" Ben questioned and looked at his mother's eyes in the mirror.

She smiled and nodded. He turned back and forth looking at their faces and then returning her smile, Ben shrugged. "OK," he agreed and walked out of the bathroom.

The adults looked at each other with wide eyes. Bella covered her mouth with one hand.

_Could it really have been that easy? _

Edward reached out for her, but was interrupted when Ben stuck his head around the door.

"Will there be kissing?" he asked.

Edward cleared his throat before answering. "There may be some kissing…yes."

Ben rolled his eyes in disgust. "OK," he grumbled and was gone. They heard the sounds of the TV coming on in the other room.

They both let out breathy laughter and hugged. Before it could turn into a kiss, Ben's voice called from the other room.

"Mom!" he shouted. "Is it time to go yet?"

"In a minute," she called back. "Let me finish my hair."

Edward gave her a peck on the cheek. "Take your time. I'll help him get ready."

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

It was a perfect evening for baseball. The sky was clear with bright stars peeking out, and the day's heat had been washed out to sea. They held hands as they walked from the hotel to the stadium; Ben in the middle, the adults grinning at each other over his head.

Once inside, Edward bought Ben a program and taught him all about scoring the game. Bella watched them with their heads together and felt her heart clench. She closed her eyes and made a silent wish.

_Please, please let this work out._

She sent a quick text to her best friend.

**Secret out. Ben happy. Bella relieved. Edward…still sexy.**

Alice hugged her phone to her chest. She was so happy for her friend. After showing Jasper the message she curled up in his arms and told him her hopes and dreams for Bella.

"This just has to work out," she whispered into her husband's ear.

* * *

Ben was asleep before they made it out of the parking garage. Bella and Edward chatted quietly during the ride home and he held her hand over the console, stopping every so often, to place a kiss inside her wrist.

When they arrived at the house, Edward carried the boy to his room, while Bella emptied out the car. Edward pulled off Ben's shoes and socks and covered him with the blanket at the end of the bed. He turned off the light and stood by the door. As he listened to Ben's slow breathing a feeling of absolute satisfaction washed over him. Somehow, in six months his entire world had changed and although it was unexpected, everything about it felt…right.

He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Bella dragging their suitcases up. He grabbed them from her and brought them the rest of the way. Bella flopped onto her bed and exhaled loudly.

"Long day?" Edward asked as he flopped down beside her.

"The longest. I was so tense!" she exclaimed.

"How do you feel now?" He reached for her hand and rolled to face her. His breath tickled her ear and she shivered from the sensation. She decided it was time to flip the script on her smoking hot boyfriend.

"Honestly?"

He nodded and she felt his lips where his breath had been. She pushed Edward onto his back and quickly straddled his hips. His eyes bugged out in surprise, which turned to amusement. As strong as her personality was, it still surprised him when she initiated sex.

"Why Dr. Swan, I thought you were tired?"

She leaned down to kiss his neck and whispered, "I said I was tense. I was hoping you could help me with that, but if you can't think of anything…" her voice trailed off and she lifted one leg as if to move away.

"Oh no!" He grabbed her leg and rolled over so she was pinned beneath him. "Sorry for the misunderstanding. I might have a few ideas. Don't move," he ordered.

He quickly undressed them both, leaving her laughing at his rushed movements until he quieted her with his mouth.

Edward kissed his way down her body, leaving a tingling trail of skin behind. When he reached her hips he stopped and she felt his fingers running over the ridge of skin at the top of her pelvis.

_Damn it, _she thought. _I knew I should have turned out the lights._

"What's this?" He asked breaking the silence.

Bella reluctantly opened her eyes and looked down to see what he was talking about, although she already knew. "It's my c-section scar, " she mumbled before laying her head back down. When he didn't say anything she brought the sheet around to cover herself. Her skin was burning with embarrassment.

"Bella, don't hide from me." He stopped her hand and pushed the sheet back. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"It's ugly," she complained.

"It's not. But even if it were, it does nothing to make you less beautiful."

She snorted in disbelief. He crawled back up to lay beside her and looked her in the eyes.

"You really don't see yourself clearly." He shook his head in disbelief. "Do you remember that first day? The day I came to pick up the key?"

She nodded and wondered where he was headed with his questions.

"I stood at your door that first day and chastised myself for staring. I couldn't take my eyes off you. When you showed me the apartment it took everything in me not to carry you off to my bed. Ever since that day you've been on my mind. Everything about you draws me in: your silky brown hair and the lovely contrast with your pale skin, your quick wit and intelligence, and the way those deep brown eyes catch mine and call me out whenever I'm trying to be too cool."

"I know you don't want to hear it." As he spoke he resumed his exploration of her body with soft, open kisses that made her heart pound. "I know you're not exactly ready." He reached the faded pink scar and paused to run a gentle finger over it. "I think you were meant for me Bella," he said and then he kissed her scar from side to side. When he spoke again his voice was husky, "and you're falling for me too."

She raised up on her elbows to look at him in shock just in time to see his face disappear between her thighs and feel his tongue graze the tender skin there.

_Holy fucking dirty fighter Batman!_

"You don't fight fair!" she gasped aloud.

Edward laughed.

_He fucking laughed!_

"I didn't know we were fighting, Bella." He grinned before resuming the soft kisses on the inside of her legs.

As Bella writhed on the bed under Edward's attention, a part of her mind contemplated the fact that her husband hadn't been particularly good at this particular act of intimacy. He always seemed to be in a hurry and it made her nervous and unable to relax.

Edward had made her laugh and seemed to be taking his sweet time. The thought of him wanting her so much…wanting her enough, was overwhelming.

She cried out his name and shuddered as she climaxed.

_Wow_, was all she could think of.

"I'll say it was wow," he replied as he crawled behind her.

_Did I say that out loud? _

"You sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself."

_Oh, how embarrassing._

"Why are you so quiet?" he whispered into her neck.

"Uh, I guess I can't think of anything snarky to say."

"Well, isn't that a piece of information to file away for future use?" he joked.

He wrapped his arms around her, one underneath her neck and one between her legs, and while he moved into her from behind, he whispered all the things he wanted to do into her ear. The heat from his breath was more than enough to make her body shudder, but the heat of his words, the feel of his chest against her back, and his hands roaming everywhere on her body, sent them both spiraling into fast orgasms.

They lay quietly, only the sounds of their breathing cutting the silence. In that peaceful moment he would have said or done anything to convince her that she was the center of his world. He began to speak again. Instead of erotic words he told her all the things he loved about her, from the baby fine hair at the nape of her neck to the ridiculous snorting laughter that overcame her when she was annoyed and amused at the same time.

Bella was enthralled. It was like looking in the mirror at yourself after the stylist had done a great job on your hair. She stopped when he got to the snorting because she was never going to believe that was sexy no matter how he said it. She rolled over to face him.

"What makes you say those things?"

He looked at her quizzically

"You say wonderful, loving things to me. Things I didn't know men ever thought about. What makes you consider _me_, when there are so many beautiful women you could have?"

Bella's face showed her confusion and she leaned into her hands.

"You don't have to say things like that to me. I'm very happy with the way you …the way we…have sex."

_Oh, Bella what we do is so much more than sex. What you do to me…_

"Are you for real?" Her voice broke through his reverie.

"Huh?"

"You say you don't date, you don't have girlfriends, but you instinctively have all the best moves, you know all the ways to …woo me, you love my son, you buy me groceries, you whisper the filthiest things in my ear and give me the most amazing orgasms, and you… you…_kissed_ my scar. Is there something wrong with you?" She narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

"Yes I'm real, and can I say a little proud right now too?"

"God, you're so embarrassing!" she exclaimed, pushing his shoulder. He pushed back and they wrestled on the bed, until he had her pinned under him. Taking advantage of his position he began to nuzzle her neck and throat.

"Embarrassing, maybe, but you have to admit those qualities would make me an excellent husband."

It was an unexpected comment and her response was straight from her gut.

"Ugh, Edward. Marriage is a grind. It's a slog. It's a fucking death march. It's not romantic dinners and weekend getaways. It's paying bills and fixing up the house and getting angry because someone left the toothbrush off the charger and someone else never folds the laundry.

She smiled to soften her words.

"What we have is so nice. You live your life and I have mine and every few days we meet for something wonderful and satisfying and we never have to worry about those other things."

"But the other things, Bella, the other things are what people use to build a life together," he reasoned.

"Is that what you want?"

He nodded.

She rested her chin on the back of her hand and looked into his eyes. Though her face betrayed nothing, her mind was in turmoil.

_No! No, Edward! No! I'm too scared. I'm scared of resenting you if you're unreliable and I sure as hell don't want you to resent me for having expectations. I don't want to pick your towels up off the floor, clean your underwear, sort your mail or be nice to your mother. I don't want to worry that you may someday cheat. I don't want to be there the day you get tired of me of giving me the 'more' you so easily offer._

If he hadn't spent countless hours gazing into her eyes he might have missed it. She had arranged her features to reveal nothing of what she was thinking, but it was there. He could see it in the slight wrinkling of her brow and the way she covered her mouth with her hand. This conversation was upsetting her.

He rolled onto the mattress and pulled her into his side, comforting her they way he always did, by wrapping his body around hers.

"So what you're saying," he teased. "is that you don't want to argue about the direction of the toilet paper?"

They were so close that she spoke her answer into his chest. "I don't want to argue with you about anything, but especially not over stupid things."

"But every couple has disagreements. I mean…the more time we spend together the more likely it is, don't you think?"

"Alice and I don't fight."

_Alice isn't desperately in love with you._

"Sweetheart," He leaned back to look at her face. "You and Alice already know everything about each other. What's left to fight about?"

"No," She shook her head. "I don't think that's it. I think we just refuse to take each other for granted, so we work hard at it."

"Don't you think that's possible for us?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I guess I'm skeptical, and more than a little scared."

Edward repressed a sigh of aggravation. He wondered how long he would have to pay for the sins of the colossal fuckwit Bella had been married to.

He cradled her face in his hands and turned it up to look in her eyes. "Bella, will you at least give us a chance to try?"

She nodded into his chest, far from certain about her decision.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**The Fandom Gives Back auction is taking place this week. Please stop by and bid on an item or story or more! All money raised goes toward Alex's Lemonade Stand, a charity which funds research into finding cures for childhood cancers. Last Thanksgiving the auction raised $87000 in 6 days. I know it's on track to raise much much more this time around. Be a part of this wonderful effort!**

**107 year old virgin and I have collaborated on some t-shirts and other swag which is being sold at the my t spot store ( http:/www .zazzle. com /myt_spot ) in support of the FGB auction. In addition to our merchandise, there are offerings from many of our favorite authors. Please take a look and buy a shirt or some other great item. Every penny earned goes to Alex's Lemonade Stand. **

**P.S. the next chapter is already written, so you won't have to wait so long for the next update.**

**~Jen**


End file.
